* A N HISTORICAL MEMORIAL OF T H E NEGOTIATION O F FRANCE and ENGLAND , From the 26th of March, 1761, to the 20th of September of the fame Year, With the VOUCHERS. Tranflated from the French Original, publifhed at P A R I S by Authority. LONDON: Printed for D. Wilson, and T. Becket and P. A. Dehondt in the Strand. M DCC LXI. is; T i O . .. w t _ 'i: siA.rn- . ;• - U s .u .1 ;•<> ri; ;i: . . 3 -w ■* * ^ ^ V / I .J. ■ i "■ IX >;JMPP A N HISTORICAL MEMORIAL O F T H E NEGOTIATION O F FRANCE and ENGLAND. H IS Majefty thinks it confident with his goodnefs and juftice to inform his fubjedts of the endeavours he has ufed, and the facrifices he refolved to make, in order to reftore peace to his kingdom. France, and the whole univerfe, will judge from a plain and faithful detail of the Negotiation, which has been carried on between the Courts of Verfailles and London, which of the two Courts have been averfe to the re-eftablifhment of public tranquillity, and have facrihced the common peace and welfare to their own ambition. In order to form a clear and juft opinion with regard to the Negotiation which has late y broken off between trance and England, it is necefiary to recollect the motives which occafioned the rupture between the two Crowns, and the particular circumliances, which have involved a confiderable part of Europe in a war which had at firft America only for its objedh * The limits of Acadia and Canada, which, by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, were left to the diicuffion of commiffaries to be named by the two Potentates have ferved England as a pretence for commencing hoftilities, and for taking two French ftnps, the Abide and the Lys, while, in the midft of peace, and under tlie fanaion of the law of nations, the Duke of Mirepoix, the French Ambaf- I ?- r * treatln s ft London in order to prevent a rupture, and to terminate tiole differences, which might have been eafily accommodated at Aix-la-Cha- pelle, and which, while the peace fubfifted, had met with the moft unreafonable and extravagant oppofition on the part of the Englilh Commiffaries. A 2 The [ 4 ] The unexpected violence offered on the part of the Engli/h neceffarily brought on the war : his Majefty found himfelf obliged, though with regret, to repel by force the indignity offered to France, and to prefer the honour of the nation to the tranquillity it enjoyed. Tf the court of London had no other defign than to eftablifh the refpe&ive poffefiions of the two Crowns in North America upon a firm footing, -Ihe would have endeavoured to obviate, as France has done, every incident which might engage the Powers of the Continent of Europe to take part in a war which is ab- folutely foreign to them, and which in faCt, having no other objedt but what relates to the limits of Acadia and Canada, could not laft long, and did not re- quire the interpofition of any other Power. But England had more extenfive views : Ihe endeavoured to raife a general war againft France, and hoped to re- new the famous league which was formed again!!: Lewis XIV. upon the accef- fion of Philip V. to the throne of Spain ; and to perfuade all the Courts of Eu- rope, that they were as much interefted in the limits of Acadia, as in the fuc- ceflion of Charles II. The condud of France, in confequence of the firlt hoftilities in 1755, was very different from that of England : his Majefty pacified his neighbours, reftrained his Allies, refufed the advantageous profped of a war, which was propofed to him on the Continent, and gave all the Powers to underftand, that his foie am- bition was to reftrain his enemies, the Englifti, within due limits, and to main- tain peace and juftice among the Powers, who ought to regard the differences refpeding America with the moft impartial neutrality. The Court of London, to accomplilh their ends, took advantage of his Ma- jefty’s equitable and pacific condud. She knew that one of the Allies of France might prove a iively obftacle to the eftablifhment of peace and tranquillity, 2nd made no doubt, but, in fecuring that Ally, Ihe fhould be able to make that Houfe, which was confidered as the antient rival of France, enter into all her views : but the Emprefs Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, animated by the fame principles of equity of which his Majefty gave flich laudable proofs, refufed the propofals of England, and rather chofe to run the rifle of an unjuft war, which was the natural and forefeen confequence of the treaty figned at Whitehall between the Kings of England and Pruflia, than to engage in one contrary to the good faith of her Imperial Majefty. His Majefty and the Emprefs- Queen, previous to the King of Pruflia’s inva- fion of Saxony, entered into an alliance on the lft of May 1756, which was purely defenfive. Their Majefties hoped, that their alliance would check the fire which was ready to kindle in Germany, and that it would prevent a war on the Continent of Europe. They were deceived in their expectations : the Court of London had armed the King of Pruflia : nothing could reftrain a Prince whofe pjflion for war was unhappily violent : and he began it at the end of the year 17 56, by the invafion of Saxony and the attack of Bohemia. From that time two diftind wars fubfifted •, one of France with England, and which at the beginning had nothing in common with the war in Germany ; and the other which the King of Pruflia waged againft the Emprefs- Queen, and in which [ 5 ] which the King of Eng'and was interefted as an Ally of the King of PrulTia, and his Majefty, as guarantee of the treaty of Wcftphalia, and, after his defen* five treaty of the ift of May, as an Ally of the Courc of Vienna. France was cautious, in the engagements fhe was conftrained to make with the Confederate Powers, not to blend the differences which difturbed the peace of America, with thole which raifed a commotion in Europe. In truth, his Ma- jefty having always made it his principal objedfc to recal each Potentate to terms of reconciliation, and to reftore public tranquillity, he judged it improper to blend interefts of fo diftant and complicated a nature, as thofe of Europe and America would prove, were they to have been jointly treated of in a negotiation for a general and final peace. His Majefty proceeded farther, and with an in- tent to prevent a direft land war in Europe, he propofed the neutrality of Ha- nover in the year 1757 •, the King of England, Elector of Hanover, refufed the propofition, and fent his fon the duke of Cumberland, into his hereditary domi- nions in Germany, who, at the head of an army entirely rompofed of Germans, was ordered to oppofe the march of thofe forces, which his Majefty, in purlu- ance of his engagements, fent to the affiftance of his Allies who were attacked in their dominions. The electoral army of Hanover finifhed the campaign of 1757, with the ca- pitulation of Clojler- Seven. The Court of London thought proper to break that capitulation, a lew monihs after it had been concluded by the confent of the King of England’s fon ; the chief pretence alledged was, that the army which had capitulated belonged to the Ele&or, and ihat the fime army which, contrary to the right of nations and all military laws, re-entered into adion, was from that time to be confidered as a Britilh army. From that moment, (and it is neceffary to attend to this circumftance) the army commanded by Prince Ferdinand of Brunfwick, is become an Englifu army : The Eledor of Hanover, the Duke of Brunfwic, the Landgrave of Hefie, their forces and their countries, have been blended together in the caufe of England ; fo that the hoftilities in Weftphalia and Lower Saxony have had and ftill have the fame objed as the hoftilities in America, Afia and Africa ; that is to fay, the disputes fubfifting between the two crowns concerning the limits of Acadia and Canada. His Majefty confequently from that time being obliged to fupport a war both by fea and land againft England his profefied enemy, has afforded no farther fuc- cour of troops to his Allies to enable them to carry on their war in particular* but has only undertaken to preferve the places on the Lower Rhine for the Em- prefs Queen, which were acquired by conqueft from the King of Pruflja, in the name of her- Imperial Majefty. It would therefore betray ignorance of the moft pofitive facts, to fuppole that the war which is aduaily carried on in Weftpha- lia, is for the intereft of his Majefty’s Allies; that war is purely Englifh, which is carried on only becaufe the army of England, in that part, defends the poflef- fions of the King of Great Britain and his Allies. We muft conclude from what has been faid with regard to the ftate of the two Belligerant Crowns, that the war of France with England is in fad, and in its origin, very diftind from that of the Emprefs againft the King of PrulTia: ne- verthe- [ 6 ] verthelefs there is a connection between the two wars, which confifts in the com* mon engagement between the King and the Emprefs Queen, not to make a fe* parate peace with the common enemy but by mutual confent. 1 his engage- ment, which is fo conformable to the fentiments of friendlhip and confidence by which their Majefties are united, was neceffary for their reciprocal fecurity. As it would be dangerous for the forces of the King of Pruflia to join againft France, with thofe of England, commanded by Prince Ferdinand, it would be equally prejudicial and contrary to the faith of his Majefty’s engagements with the Court of Vienna, that the Britifh army fliould join the King of Prufiia againft the Em- prefs Queen, and againft the Princes of the Empire who are in alliance with France. Although the year 1758, produced no political event, which might give room to a negotiation for the re-eftablifliment of peace, yet France, ever zealous to promote it with the fame fincerity, made ufe of the mediation of Denmark to inform England of her perfeverance in the fame pacific difpofitions ; the an- i'wer from the Court of London was as haughty as it was negative, and deftroy- ed all hopes of a negotiation. In 1759, the Courts of London and Berlin tranfmitted the following declara- tion from the Hague, to the Minifters of France, Vienna and Ruflia. No. I. Declaration of their P ruffian and Britannic Majefties. ‘ 'T’HEIR Britannic and Pruflian Majefties, touched with companion, when ‘ *- they reflect on the evils which have been occafioned, and rnuft ftill necef- * farily refult from the war which has been kindled for fome years paft, would * think themfelves wanting to the duties of humanity, and particularly regard- * lefs of the intereft they take in the prefervation and welfare of their refpe&ive ‘ kingdoms and fubjefts, if they neglected to ufe proper meafures towards check- ‘ ing the progrefs of this cruel peftilence, and to contribute towards the re-eftab- * lilhment of public tranquillity. It is with this view, and in order to afeertain * the fincerity of their intentions in this refpedt, that their aforefaid Majefties have ‘ refolved to make the following declaration : ‘ That they are ready to fend Plenipotentiaries to any place which Ihall be * judged moft convenient, in order to treat, in conjunction, concerning a general * and firm peace, with thofe whom the Belligerant Powers Ihall think proper to * authorize on their fide, towards the accomplilhment of fo falutary an end. ‘ I certify, thac the above- Declaration is the fame which was difpatched to * me by the Earl of Holdernefle and the Baron Kniphauzen, in the name, and * on the part of their Britannic and Pruflian Majefties.’ Given at theCaftleof Ryfwick, this 25th November 1759. Signed L. D. de Brunfwick. This declaration made no mention either of Sweden, or of the King of Poland, Ele&or of Saxony, two Powers who were principally interefted in the war. France C 7 3 France and her Allies were not aware of this proceeding of the courts of Lon- don and Berlin. 7 hey were obliged to wait for an anfwer from Peterfbouro-, in order to tranfmit in common a counter declaration, which the great diftance be- tween the countries obliged them to defer longer than France could have wilhed. At length it was tranfmitted in the following terms, and the Courts of London and Berlin never made any reply to it. No. II. Counter Declaration of His Mofl Chrifiictn Majejly. 'Y'HEIR Britannic and Pruffian Majefties having thought proper to teftify by a Declaration which was delivered on their parts at the Ha and in the name of his Mod Chriftian Majefty, ‘ Signed, the Duke de Choifeul.” This declaration, which concerned all the Allies in aeneral was not fuffiri '"irfaa' whafdel ^ ""a™ ^ ' f ’ f ° fpCedily 33 France C0 ’ uId have wifhed. a rl * c hi 1 and P e *;P leXin g incidents were not to be expefted from time Sth the J nterefts of ^? erica were to be treated of at the fame P^uffia ! h H f ° f thC tW ° Em P rdres > Sweden, Saxony, and the King of To remove : theft obftacles, the King, with the confent of his Allies, thought PrCfS ° r a fe P arat,on of the two wars, which had been agreed upon lince the year 1759. I n confequence of this intention, his Majefty caufed a feparate Memorial to be addrelTed to the Court of London, which was accom- P r - d fn by ? Iett er from the Duke de Choifeul, his Minifter and Secretary of Britannic Majctly. ’ “ Mf ' P '“’ Minifter and State to hi. No. IV. S I R, Letter from the Duke de Choifeul to Mr. Pitt. H E king my Mafter, aiding in conformity with the fentiments of his Ak n^r k m ° r k Cr? lf , P offible ’ to procure the re-efkblifhment of a general P anne h vi aUt r r lf e ?iT t0 twnftt i L t t0 y° UT Excellency the Memorial here- h ' Ch f ? le,y concems the interefts of France and England, with refpedt to the particular war between the two Crowns. The Kin^has reafon to hope, that the fincere manner in which he propofes to trett with his ntannic Majefty, will bamfh all miftruft in the courfe of the Negotiation ouainfr Pf? and i W r in inducc his Britannic Majefty to make the King ac- wa? or with refnS ^ether with regard to the continuant of . ’ . , refpeft t0 conc l u fi° n of peace, as well as in relation to the thTtwo ^ narioTw ' Ch ' ^ ^ Pr ° Ceed ’ in ° rdcr t0 P rocure this bieffin § t0 B I wifi is C W ] » I will add, that I am likewifc authorized to allure your Excellency, tha* in relation to the war in which the King of Pruffia is concerned, the Allies ot the Kin» my Mafter are determined to treat of their interelts in the r Congrefs, with the fame franknels and fincerity, of which I can give your ^ ' cellency aflTurance on the part of France ; and that, fo as not to depart trom what is due to their dignity, their fituation, and to the deman s o J * they will bring with them to the Negotiation all the acquiefcence, which their humanity ditfates for the general good of Europe. 1 The King my Mafter, and his Allies, do not doubt but that the/ lhaii find the heart of his Britannic Majefty and his Allies, impreffed with the fame fentiments. I efteem it a happinefs that my office makes me the mltru- ment of conveying fuch favourable fentiments, which give me an opportuni- ty of alluring your Excellence, with what diftinguilhed confideration I have the honour to be, &c. No. V. Memorial of the Chriftian King. T H E Moft Chriftian King wifhes that the feparate peace of France with England could be united with the general peace of Europe, which his Majefty moft fincerely defires to eftablifh ; but as the nature of the objedts which have occafioned the war between France and England, is totally to- reign from the difputes in Germany, his Moft Chriftian Majefty has thought it necefiary to agree with his Britannic Majefty on the principal articles which may form the balls of their feparate Negotiations, in order to accelerate, as much as polfible, the general conclufion of the peace. ‘ The belt method to accompli fh the end propofed, is to remove thofe in- tricacies which might prove obftacles to its fuccefs. In the bufinefs of peace, the difputes of nations concerning their reciprocal conquefls, the different opi- nions with refpedl to the utility of particular conquefts, and the compenfations for reftitutions, generally form matter of embarraffment at a Negotiation of peace. As it is natural for each nation, with regard to thefe different points, to endeavour the acquifition of all poflible advantages, intereft and diftruft occalion oppofitions and produce delays. To obviate thefe inconveniencies, and to teftily the fin- cerity of his proceedings in the courfe of the Negotiation of peace with Eng- land, the Moft Chriftian King propofes to agree with his Britannic Majefty, that, with refpect to the particular war of France and England, the two Crowns fhall remain in polMion of what they have conquered from each other, and that the fituation in which they fhall ftand on the lft of September, in the year 1761, in the Eaft Indies, on the ill: of July in the fame year, in the Weft Indies and in Africa, and on the lft of May following in Europe, fhall be the pofition which fttall ferve as a bafis to the treaty which may be nego- tiated between tire two powers. Which Ihews that the Moft Chriftian King, in in order to fet an example of humanity, and to contribute to the re eftablilh- ment of the general tranquillity, will make a facrifice of thofe reftitutions which [ 11 ] * which he has a rigEt to claim, at the fame time that he will maintain thofe ‘ acquifitions which he has gained from England during the courfe of the ‘ war. Neverthelefs as his Britannic Majefty may think that the periods propofed of * l he i ft of September, July, and May, are either too near or too diftant for ‘ the interefts of the Britifh Crown, or that his Britannic Majefty may judge * it proper to make compenfation for the whole, or for part of the reciprocal con- * quefts of the two Crowns, the Mod Chriftian King will readily enter into Ne- ‘ gotiation with his Britannic Majefty in relation to thefe two objects, when he ‘ fhall know his fentiments concerning them, the principal view of his Molt Chriftian Majefty, being to teftify not only to England, but to the whole ‘ world, his fincere dilpofition to remove all impediments w'hich might defer the * falutary objedt of peace. ‘ The Moft Chriftian King expe&s, that the difpofition of his Britannic Ma-, ‘ jefty will be correfpondent, and that he will, with equal fincerity, anfwer all ‘ the articles contained in this Memorial, in which the two Powers are fo eflen- * tiah’y intefefted.” Thefe pieces were dated the 26th of March. England had then conquered from France Ifle Royal or Cape Breton, all Canada, the Hies of Guadaloupe and Marigalant, and that of Goree in Africa, with Senegal •, Europe at that time was ignorant of the precife fituation of affairs between the two Crowns in Afia, and the expedition againft Belle-Ille had not then taken place. Trance, on the other hand, had conquered the Ifland of Minorca, had repaired fome parts of the port of Dunkirk, and in Germany were in pofltffion of TIanau, the Langraviate of Heffe, and the town of Gottingen in the Electorate of Ha- nover. It is neceflary to obferve, that Caffel was befieged on the 26th of March, and that it was to be feared that on the lft of May the King’s forces would no longer be in pofieffion of Heffe, and of the town of Gottingen. Wefel and Gueldres could not be comprised in the offer o iUti poffidetis which France propofed, becaufe thofe two towns, and the countries dependant on them, appertain to the Emprefs Queen : that the King has only the cuftody of them, and that juftice is adminiftred there in the name of her Imperial Majefty. All Europe was aftonifhed at the facrifices which the King was difpofed to make to England : his Majcfty’s Miniftry were reproached on the part of thofe Courts who were moft affedionate to France, and no one doubted but that Eng- land would prefer the quiet polTeflion of her conquefts, and the repofe of her Allies in Germany, to the continuation of the war. The memorial of France, by eftablifhing a fixed bafis for the Negotiation, propofed to make neceflary com- pensations for the advantage of the two crowns, and opened a way for the eva- cuation of Germany on the part of the French troops, in compenfitfion of the conquefts of England in America. 1 he full extent of the propofition contained in the Memorial of the 26th of March, addrefled to Mr. Pitt, was known in France-, but the King, like a true ather of his people, thought of nothing but their relief j and in confequence of ^2 this I M 1 this fentiment, determined to adhere to the offers which leemed to him the moft fure and ready expedients for infpiring his enemies with that ipirit of reconcilia- tion, which directed all his Majefty’s willies and meafures. Mr. Pitt anfwered the Duke of Choifeul’s Letter, and at the fame time lent, him a Memorial, inanfwer to that of France of the 26th of March. No. VI; Mr. Pitt's Letter to the Duke of ChoifeuL S I R, London , 8th April, ij 6 u. » 'T'HE King my Mafter has authorized me to tranfmit to your Excellency, * with all the difpatch which was found poftible, the Memorial hereto an- «• nexed, in anfwer to that of the 26th of the laft month, made by the order * and in the name of his Moll Chriftian Majefty, folely concerning the intereftS « of England and France, relative to the particular war between the two Crowns, *• which was accompanied by a letter from your Excellency of the fame date, * tranfmitted to me by M. the Prince Galitzin. « His Majefty has publifhed his real fentiments, with regard to the falutary 4 bufinefs of Peace, with the fincerity which his Chriftian Majefty deftres, and ‘ of which he himfelf fet the example •, the king my Mafter, on his part, defires ‘ nothing more than, by the fincerity of his conduct, to remove all diftruft :a 4 courfe of the Negociation. ‘ i will likewife acquaint your Excellency, that the King learnt with great 6 fatisfadlion, that your Excellency was authorized to give aflurance that, in re- 4 lation to the war which concerns the King of Pruffia, the Allies of his' Moft 4 Chriftian Majefty are determined to treat with the fame opennels and fincerity 4 as the Court of France, and that they will bring with them, to the Negotia- 4 tion at the future Congrefs, all the acquiefcence which their unanimity dictates * for the general good of Europe. 4 I muft add that, with regard to the war which concerns the King of Pruffia* ‘ as well as with refpedt to the other Allies of the King my Mafter, his Ma» 4 jefty, always conftant in fulfilling the engagements of his crown with the molt 4 fcrupulous exacftnefs, can never fail to fupport their refpeftive interefts, whe- 4 ther in the courfe of the Negociation, (which may God profper) or in the con- « tinuance of the war, (if contrary to all expectation this misfortune fhould 4 be unavoidable) with the cordiality and efficacy of a fmcere and faithful 4 Ally. 4 As to what remains, it is fuperfluous to mention to what-degree his Majefty 4 wiffies for this fpcedy, eftablifhment of the general peace in Germany, after 4 the diftinguiftied proof his Majefty has given, in fo readily confenting to tha 4 * propofition of fo diftant a place as the town of Augfbourg for the meeting of 4 the Congrefs. Such [ *3 ] ‘ c ' Such are the fincere and upright intentions of the King my Matter for the re- 4 eftablilhment of the public tranquility. I think myfelf happy in having the ‘ charge of conveying fuch fentiments, and of having an opportunity of alluring * your Excellency of the diflinguifhed regard with which 1 have the honour to * be,. Signed W. Pitt. No. VII. The Memorial of his Britannic Majefty, of the 8 th of April 1761. * ^-JIS Britannic Majefty, equally defirous with the Mott Chriftian King, that * the feparate Peace of England and France could be united with the gene- ‘ ral peace, for which the King of Great Britain is fo fincerely interefted, that, * in regard to this point, he even means that the contefts which might arife be- ‘ tween the two Crowns concerning their particular differences, fhould not occa- ‘ fion the leaft delay to the fpeedy conclufion of fo falutary a work as the general ‘ peace of Germany ; and his Britannic Majefty is the more confirmed in this * fentiment, dilated by humanity towards fo many nations, that he feels in all * its extent the propolition which the Mott Chriftian King eftablilhes as a funda- * mental principle ; that the nature of the objedts which have occalioned the war * between England and France, is totally foreign from the difputes in Ger- * many. ' ‘ In confequence of this inconteftible principle, the King of Great Britain en- * tirely adopts the fentiment of his Molt Chriftian Majefty, that it is necefiary to * agree between the two Crowns on fome principal articles, which may form the * balls of their particular negociations, in order the more to accelerate the con- ‘ clufion of a general peace.’ ‘ The King of Great Britain equally agrees in general to the propofition which * the Moft Chriftian King has made with an opennefs, in which his Britannic * Majefty will concur throughout the courfe of the negotiation ; that is to fay, ‘ that, in relation to the particular war between England and France, x. The * two Crowns fhall remain in polfeflion of what they have conquered, one from 4 the other. 2. That the fituation in which they lhall Hand at certain periods, * fhall be the pofition to lerve as a balls for the Treaty which may be negotiated 4 between the two Powers. / With regard to the firft branch of the aforefaid propofition, his Britannic M&- 4 jelly takes pleafure in doing juftice to. the magnanimity of His Moft Chriftian 4 Majefty, who, from motives of humanity, determines to facrifice to the love 4 of peace, the reftitution which he thinks he has a right to claim, maintaining *’ at the fame time what he has conquered from England during the courfe of 4 the vvar. 4 With refpedt to the fecond head of the aforefaid propofition, concerning 1 the reciprocal Conquefts made by the two Crowns one upon another ; that is to 4 fay. That the fituation in which they lhall Hand at the refpedtive periods af- 4 fignedl [ *4 1 < figned for the different quarters of the globe, (hall ferve as a bafts forthc ^ < Treaty, the King of Great Britain again acknowledges with fatisfadion the « candour which is manifefted on the part of his Mod Chriftian M qet y in > « article, by obviating, as he has done, the extreme difficulties, an y antici « pating the indifpenfable objedions, which could not but ante on iuch a iud- * jed ; it being in fad felf-evident, that expeditions at fea requiring prepara 1- * ons of long (landing, and depending on navigations which are unc . er f 5 ain ’,^ ‘ well as on the concurrence of feafons, in places which are often too 1 0 ‘ orders relative to their execution to be adapted to the common vicmitudes o ‘ negociations, which for the moll part are fubjed to difappointments and e- ‘ lays, and are always fluduating and precarious : from whence it necetlaruy re- ‘ fults, that the nature of fuch operations is by no means fufceptible, without pre- ‘ judice to the party who employs them, of any other epochas, than thole which ‘ have reference to the day of figning the treaty of peace. « Neverthelefs as this confideration, as well as that which refpeds the uom- ' penfations (if fuch fliall be found proper to be made between the two Crowns) ‘ on account of their reciprocal Conquefls, comprehend the mod interfiling and ‘ capital articles of the Treaty, and as it is upon thefe two decidve objects, that 1 the Mod Chriftian King voluntarily offers to enter into a Negociation ; the King ' of Great Britain, defiring to concur effedually with the favourable dilpofitions ‘ of the Mod Chriftian King, in order to remove all impediments, which might [ defer the falutary objed of peace, his Brittannic Majefty declares that he is 1 ready on his part to enter upon the propofed Negotiation with fpeed and fincerity. ‘ And more authentically to demonftrate to what extent the fincerity of his con- ‘ dud proceeds, his Britannic Majefty declares farther, that he (hould be glad 1 to fee fome perfon at London fufficiently authorized, by a power from the Mod 1 Chriftian King, to enter upon this fubjed with the Britifti Minifters, in re- ‘ gard to the feveral articles contained in the Letter of the D. de Choifeul of ‘ die 26th of March 1761, to the Secretary of State of his Britannic Majefty, « which points are fo effentially intereding to the two Powers. ‘ By the order, and in the name of the King of Great Britain my Matter, Signed W. Pitt. The Letter of the Englifii Minifter (hews, in appearance, an equal zeal with that of France, for the re eftabliftiment of the Union between the two Crowns : ‘ contains, moreover, a declaration in favour of the King of Pruffia, which it X fe;ms foreign to the purpofe, and appears the more affeded, as the King never teftified the lead defire to feparate the alliance which united England to his Pruf- fun Majefty. The Britifti Memorial, annexed to the letter of the Englifii Minifter, accepts the Statu Q/to, but fays nothing with regard to the epochas. In fad, it is con- cluding nothing with regard to that intereding and neceffary objed attached to the propofition of Uti Pojfidetis, to fay that the peace (hall be the epoch to fix the poffefiions of the two powers. 4 I* r 15 ] In the conclufion, England propofed the fending of a French Minifter to Lon- don. This propofition gave a favourable omen of the difpofitions of the Britilh Court towards peace. The King ordered the D. de Choifeul to return an an- fwer to Mr. Pitt, and to accompany it with a Memorial which, at the lame time that k clearly exprefi'ed his Majefty’s real fentiments, contained an ac- ceptance of the propofal for fending a Minifter to London, which required the reciprocality of difpatching an Englilh Minifter to France. No. VIII. Letter from the D. de Choifeul to Mr. Pitt. S I R, Verfailles, 19th April, 1761. 4 T Made the King my matter acquainted with the letter which your Excellency * did me the honour to write to me on the 8th inftant, as well as with the * Memorial thereto annexed. * His Majefty has remarked with real pleafure, the conformity of his Britan- * nic Majefty’s fentiments with his own, in regard to the fincere and open con- 4 duCt which it becomes two fuch great Powers to obferve in the Negotiation o£ 4 a Peace. 4 The King has not delayed, Sir, the nomination of an Ambaftador to re- *■ prefent him at the Congrefs at Augfburg. His Majefty has made choice of 4 the Count de Choifeul, at prefent his Ambafiador at Vienna, and he will re- 4 pair to the town appointed, at the beginning of July, in the expectation which 4 we entertain here, that his' Britannic Majefty will fend his Ambaflador thither 4 at the fame time. 4 The King has commanded me. Sir, to obferve on this occalion to your 4 Excellency, in anfvver to the declaration contained in your letter, that his Ma- 4 jefty, as conftant as any other Power, in fulfilling the engagements he has- 4 made with the Allies with the moft fcrupulous punctuality, will continue, with 4 that fidelity which is confident with the integrity and dignity of his character, to 4 make his caufe common with theirs, whether in the negotiation for the peace 4 of Germany, or in the continuance of the war, if, to the misfortune of man- 4 kind, the favourable difpofitions in which the Belligerant Powers are at prefent 4 fhould not be attended with the fuccefs which is fo earneftly defiled. 4 1 ought not, on this occafion, to omit informing your Excellency with what 4 concern the King would fee himfelf obliged to continue fuch a deftruCtive war, 4 after having entertained a confidence that all the parties were interefted in put- 4 ting a ftop to the calamities it occafions. 4 As to what relates to the war in particular between France and England, I have annexed to this letter a Memorial in reply to that of your Excellency. We cannot be too zealous in explaining the upright intentions of our Matters, in : order to remove, .at the beginning of this interefting negotiation, thofe mifun- derftandings, which often augment* inftead of leffening the delay. 4 You are a Minifter, Sir, too enlightened, not to approve of this principle. 4 I have the honour to be, with moft dillinguilhed regard, &c. 4 Signed Le Due de Choifeul. 1 No. IX, I 1 No. IX. The Memorial of his Mojl Chrtjiian Majefty of the 19th Aprils 1761. '■* npHE Moft Chriftian King perceives with fatisfadtion, that his Britannic ^ Majefty agrees that the nature of the objedts which have occafioned the - 6 war between France and England is totally foreign from the difputes which ‘ have given rife to the war in Germany ; it is in confequence of this principle e that his Moft Chriftian Majefty offered the King of England to treat concern- * ing the preliminaries relative to the particular interefts of the two Crowns ; but in making that propofition, the King of France, did not underftand, as *• the beginning of the Memorial of London of the 8 th of April feems to inti- * mate, that the peace of Germany could take place, without the differences ‘ between France and England being adjufted. His Moft Chriftian Majefty has * fufficient confidence in his Allies to be certain that they will neither conclude 6 a peace nor a -treaty, without his confent. Fie did not underftand therefore, * that the peace of Germany could be concluded diftindtly from that of France -* and England, and he only propofed to the King of England, to feparate the e difcuffion of the two wars, in order to bring about a general peace for all parties. ‘ His Moft Chriftian Majefty renews the propofition which he caufed to be * made in the firft Memorial, that the two Powers fhould remain in Statu ^uo 1 with regard to their poffelfions and conquefts, according to the periods ftated ‘ in th e laid Memorial, but his Majefty obferves, iu {hat the bafis of the propo- * fition is neceffarily connected with the epochas propofed ; for it is eafy to con?- * ceive that luch events may happen on either fide, as may ablolutely prevent an * acquiefcence to die Uti Pojftdetis , if the epochas are diftantj and his Moft Chriftian * Majefty has the more reafon to recal the whole propofition, if the King of En- * gland does not acquiefce to the epochas annexed to it, fince no one can doubt * but diat th °k periods were propofed at a time when they were not advantage- ■* ous to France. ‘ It is certain that the reciprocal conquefts cannot be afeertained but on the * day of figning the peace ; but it is no lefs certain, that it is impofiible to fix ‘ bafis of a negotiation for peace, otherwife than according to the fituation ‘ in which the Belligerant Parties flood at fuch or fuch a period of the war. ‘ I his is the light in which the King of France underft’ood the propofition which he made to the King of England ; and it is upon this principle, if his Britannic ‘ Majefty adopts it, that his Moft Chriftian Majefty will fend a Minifter to Lon- * don with credentials, and charged with full power fufficient to treat. with the * Minifttrs of the Kirg of Great Britain, either with refpedt to the Ground of the ‘ qjfpute, or in regard to the compenfations proper to be made to the'two Crowns, as well as concerning the interefts of their colonies and their commerce! * I he difpofition of his Moft Chriftian Majefty, to put an end to the mife, ‘ ries of war, which divides the two nations under their government, is eqgal to * that of his Britannic Majefty ; but as the zeal on both Tides fhould be alike, ■* at the lame time that the Moft Chriftian King fhall fend M. Bufiy to London! i *t # ‘ he hopes that the King of Great Britain will fend an Englifh Minrfter to France, * to treat concerning the fame objefts with his Miniftry. His Mod Chriftian 4 Majefty expefts the anfwer of his Britannic Majefty on the contents of this Me- * morial, in order to expedite and receive the reciprocal and necefiary paiTports. 4 By the order and in the name of the King my Mafter, 4 Signed Le Due de Choifeul.’ Mr. Pitt’s anfwer contained a new Memorial on the part of England, in which their arguments with refpeft to the epochs were far from being juft : for, altho’ France propofed, by the Memorial of the 26th of March, to negotiate with re- fpedt to the epochs, it was not the lefs certain, that the propofition of Uii pofjide- dis was connected with thofe epochs, whether the Courts agreed that they fhould be diftant or near. In faift, if it fhould happen' that they could not agree in that; particular, it was evident that the propofition of Uti pcjfideiis dropped with the Negotiation. No. X. Mr. Pitt's letter to the Duke de Choifeul Monsieur, Whitehall 28th April, 1761. 4 T Have laid before the King my mafter the letter which your Excellency did 4 me the honour to write to me the 19th of this month, as alfo the Memo- 4 rial which was annexed to it. ‘ His Majefty fincerely wilhes to maintain an entire conformity of fentiment3 4 with his Moft Chriftian Majefty, in relation to the uniform and direct method 4 which it is proper to purlue in a Negotiation equally delicate and important. 4 The King underftaUds, Sir, with pleafure, that his Moft Chriftian Majefty 4 has made choice of the Count de Choifeul to reprefent him at the Congrefs at 4 Augfburg, and that that Ambafiador will repair to the deftined town at the be- 4 ginning of July •, and the King has charged me to inform your Excellency, that 4 he has nominated the Earl of Egremont, Lord Vifcount Stormont, and Si? 4 Jofieph York, to reprefent him at the faid Congrefs, and that his Ambaftadcrs 4 will like wife repair to Augfnurg at the beginning of July. 4 It becomes me, on this fubjeft, to acquaint your Excellency, that the re- 4 gret be the prefence of reciprocal Minifters, who, treating by word of mo uth, , W give an explanation immediately on (farting of a doubt, your -J n , his lee by the Memorial hereto annexed, the difpofition ot his 0 -J -y by refpedt. 4 I have the honour to be. with the mod diflinguiftied regard, ‘ Signed W. Pitt. No. xr. The Memorial of his Britannic Majejly of the 2%th of April, ij 6 i. T HE Kin» of Great Britain, always influenced by the fame defire of putting an end to the miferies of the war, which is unhappily kindled between Great Britain and France, has with pleafurc concurred in every meafure which tends to remove the obftacles which impede fo falutary a work. It is with this view, that his Britannic Majefty will readily fend Mr. Stanley ter France, in the quality of his Minifter, at the fame time that the Mod Chriftian King mall fend Mr. Bu fly to London. ‘ As to what remains, his Majefty does not find by the Memorial or the 26th of laft month, made in the name of his Moft Chriftian Majefty, that the ground of the piopofition therein contained, concerning the reciprocal conquefts, is ne- ceflarily connected with the periods propofed ; quite on the contrary ; it is exprefsly about thofe very periods that the Moft Chriftian King offers to enter into a Negotiation. Thefe are the exprefs words : Neverthelefs , as his Majefty may think that the propofed periods of September , July, tind May, may be either too near or too diftant for the inter efts of the Britifh Crown , or that his Britannic Majefty fhould think proper that compenfation Jhould be made for the whole or part if the reciprocal conquefts of the two Crowns •, upon thefe two points, the Moft Chriftian King will readily enter into a Negotiation with his Britannic Majefty , when he jhall be acquainted with his intentions. ‘ it was in confequence of an offer fo clearly exprefied, and not capable of mif- conftru&ion, that his Britannic Majefty refolved to declare, that he was ready • on his part to enter, with fpeed and fincerity, upon the propofed Negotiation. The King of Great Britain, perfevering in his intentions, renews his former declaration *, and his Britannic Majefty, to leave no doubt with regard to his 1 inclinations, has forwarded the pafiport hereto annexed, and will be glad to • receive one immediately in return from the Court of France, that, by means of 1 a treaty by word of mouth, as well with refpeft to the grounds of the difpute-, ‘ as in relation to the epochs, as alfo in regard to the compenfation which may ‘ be agreed on between the two Crowns, they may be better able on both Tides * to clear up doubts, and remove all ambiguities from the Negotiation, which, ‘ in order to be effectual, fhould be conduced on both fides with fincerity, pre* ‘ cifion and expedition. 4 By the order, and in the name of the King, my Mafter, 1 4 Signed W. Pitt.* The N •f II »•> /*<>< t 19 ] The pafTports for Mr. Buffy being arrived, the King ordered thofe necdTary for Mr. Stanley to be expedited, and the difpatch of the rel'peftive Minifters for the important Negotiation on foot, was fettled by the Letters here annexed. No. XII. Letter from the D. de Choifeul to Mr. Pitt. SIR « npHE King, my Matter, entirely adopts the principle advanced in the letter < with which your Excellency honoured me on the 28th ot laft Month, ‘ likewife in the Memorial thereto annexed, with refpeft to the neceffity of dif- 1 patching refpe£tive Minifters, in order to elucidate a number of difficulties, 4 which it is impoffible to obviate by letters and memorials. I fhould nevcr- 4 thelefs have been proud of the honour of negotiating fo important an affair 4 personally with your Excellency. No one has a higher confidence than myfeif 4 in the integrity and the uncommon talents which your Excellency poflettes, and 4 I do prefume, that the intentions of the Kings, our Matters, being at once de- 4 termined on peace, the fagacity of your Excellency, joined to my zeal for fo 4 precious a blefling, would have fmoothed all difficulties •, but as our employs 4 necefiarily keep us at a diftance from a perfonal Negotiation, M. de Buffy, 4 who is ufed to tranfadl bufinefs with me, will fupply, near your Excellency, 4 the defire I have of concurring in the falutary views of peace, which feem to 4 animate all the belligerant Powers. I entreat your Excellency to grant him 4 your favour, and I am certain that he will ufe his utmoft endeavours to de- 4 ferve it. ‘ Your Excellency will fee by my private letter, to which his Majefty’s pafT- < ports for Mr. Stanley are annexed, fome precautionary arrangements, which I « propofe to be fettled, in order to prevent the inconveniences which might arife * on the firft difpatch of the refpedtive Minifters. 4 I have the honour to be, &c. 4 Signed Lc Due de Choifeul.* No. XIII. Another Letter from the D. de Choifeul to Mr . Pitt, of the 4th May, 1 761. * T Have received the paffport of the King of Great Britain, which your Excel - ‘ lency did me the honour to fend for M. Buffy, in the quality of Minifter < of the King, my Mafter •, and I fend you in return his Majefty s paffport tor ‘ Mr. Stanley, whom his Britannic Majefty has been pleafed to appoint in order » to come to this Court in the fame capacity. I think it my duty, on this occa- « fion. Sir, to make fome obfervations, which feem to me neceffary to warrant * the execution of the commiffions of thofe two Minifters. 1 . * The King thinks, that his Britannic Majefty will judge it convenient that * the two Minifters fhould be charged with full power from the refpeftive Courts to ufe upon occafion. . r C 2 2 * That 6 [ 20 ] 2. * That the two Mi aiders fhould each of them have Letters of Credence ‘ from the Kings, tbejr Mailers, which they fhall deliver to the refpective Se- * crctarits of State only; that is to fay, in France, to the Minifter and Secretary ‘ of State for the department of Foreign Affairs; and in England, to the Mini- * dcr and Secretary of State for the Souchern Department. 3- ‘ As his Majtrfty’s intention is, that the Englifh Minifter fhall enjoy the * fame privilege in France, as if the two Courts were .in the-midft of peace, as ‘ well with regard to the common intercourfe of life, as in maint-.ining a corre- * fpondence with the Court of England and the other Courts 1^61. ‘SIR, T HE my ^ a ^ er has learnt with real fatisfadlion, by the letter which your Excellency did me the honour to write of the 4th of this morth that the ftntiments of the Mod Chriftian King are conformable to cbofe of Courf J ^ WUh t0 thC mU ' Ual dif P atch of the Minifters from the two I hope your Excellency will be perfuaded, that I have a lively ftnfe of the va ue of thofe obliging lentiments with which you have been plcafed to honour me, and that, conlcious as I am of your fuperior qualities, which have en^ped the approbation of every Court, I perceive in its full extent how flat ter i n o- q circumftance it would have been for me to have had the honour of treating ££ * lonaliy ‘ fonally with your Excellency upon fo interefting an objed, and to have fhared * with you, in point of zeal for the profperous condud of the Peace, the fa- * tiffadion of co-operating more immediately to give the people aflurance of * the effeds of the falutary difpofitions of the Kings our Mailers. I fhall never- * thelefs take real pleafure, upon all occafions, to pay the refped due to M. Buf- * fy’s charader, as well as to his merit ; and I can affure you, Sir, that the * happinels which that Minifter has had, of being tiled to tranfad bufinefs widx ‘ your Excellency, is an additional circumftance which cannot but intereft me * extremely in his behalf. * I am perfuaded that Mr. Stanley, who is defcended from an illuftrious fami- ‘ ly, and who entertains noble fentiments, will ufe all his endeavours to merit ‘ the honour of your Excellency’s efteem, and he wiihes to be recommended to * your favour. ‘ You will fee. Sir, by my private letter, the refledions which have occurred ‘ in relation to the precautionary arrangements, which your Excellency propofed ‘ to fettle, and 1 hope that no farther impediments will remain on this fub- ‘ jed. ‘ I have the honour to be. See. ‘ Signed W. Pitt.” No. XV. Another Letter from Mr. Pitt to the D. de Choifeul , of the nth May } i j6i. S I R, ‘ T Have received the three pafiports, which your Excellency has done me the * honour to tranfmit for Mr. Stanley, in quality of Minifter from the King my * Mafter, and I in return tranfmit to you a fecond, which his Majefty has granted ‘ for the vefiel which the Moft Chriftian King fhall think proper to order for * tranfporting M. Buffy into England j and I annex the order to the Officers of * the cuftoms, for the free importation of the effeds and baggage of the faid Mi- * nifter. ‘ As to what relates, Sir, to the obfervations which you thought yourfelf * obliged to make, to warrant the execution of the commiffion of thofe two * Minifters, it is with great fatisfadion I afllire your Excellency, that the King, * >n conformity with the fentiments of his Moft Chriftian Majefty, is of * opinion, i. ‘ That the two Minifters flioukl be charged with ample power from the * Kings their Mafters, to make ufe of as occafion fhall offer. i. * That the two Minifters ought, each of them, to have Letters of Cre- * dence from their Majefties, which they lhall not need to deliver but to the * Secretaries of the refpedive States, in the manner fpecified by your Excel- [ 22 1 3 . « It is the intention oF his Majefty, that M. Butty fhould abfolutely en- joy in England, the fame rights, prerogatives, franchifcs and liberties, as ; i the two Courts were in the midft of peace, and which Mr. Stanley, in pur u. ance of the intention of his Molt Chriftian Majefty, is to enjoy 10 r ranee, and that as to the difpatch of Couriers, as well as every thing elfe w ic con cerns the two Minifters, the tenor of the third Article of Oblervations le ativt to this head, fhall be obferved in every refpedt. * As to what remains, concerning the time of the departure of the faid Mi- nifters, as alfo concerning the manner of their crofting the fea, the King is of opinion, that in order to obviate all difficulties, Mr. Stanley and M. Butty may refpe&ively repair to Dover and Calais, to crofs the lea each of them in a veflel appertaining to their own nation, which the Kings their Matters lhatl keep ready for that purpofe in the two ports aforelaid. It is in confidence of this difpofition, that I am obliged to acquaint your Excellency, that the King will difpatch Mr. Stanley from London, fo that he may reach Dover on the 23d of this month, unlefs we learn that a time fo near at hand fhould be * inconvenient to the Court of France; and the King my Matter relies, with full * confidence, in M. Butty ’s repairing to Calais on the aforefaid day, that the * two Minifters may crofs the fea without delay, as far as the circumftances of ‘ wind and navigation will permit them. I will add to your Excellency, that ‘ Mr. Stanley will make ufe of a packet-boat from Dover, and that M. Bufly * may crofs from Calais to England in whatever veflel his Moft Chriftian Majefty ‘ fhall judge convenient. c I flatter myfelf that your Excellency will find that thefe arrangements will « equally facilitate the method of the two Minifters repairing to their rtcipro- 1 cal deftinations without inconvenience. * I have the honour to be, &c. “ Signed W. Pitt. M The Courts in alliance with France, without oppofing this Negotiation with the Court of London, exprefied great uneafinefs at the reciprocal difpatch of the two Minifters : they were encouraged, however, by the pro'mife which the King made to them, of communicating with the utmoll confidence, a detail of the feveral objects which fhould be treated of, either at London or Verfailles. In the Declaration made to them on the part of the King, they at once admired his Majefty’s fteadinefs to his engagements, and that genet ofity with which he de- termined to facrifice his perfonai interefts, in order to come to a fpeedy and firm reconciliation with England. M. Bufly let out for London : his inftrudtions were extremely Ample : the ba- fts of them regarded the propofition of Uti Pojfidetis , and he was enjoined, 1. To demand of the Britifh Minifter, whether the King of England accepted of the periods annexed to the propofition of Statu Quo, and if his Britannic Ma- jefty did not -accept of them. What new periods he propofed to France ? 2. To declare to the Court of London, That the war which the King waged againft England, was entirely diftin< 5 t from that of the Emprefs Queen agafnft the [ 23 1 the King of Prufiia, and that confcquently, except as to Wefel and Gueldres, which appertained to her Imperial Majefty, the King was at liberty to caufe his forces to evacuate, Gottingen, Hefie, and the county of Hanau, but that his Majefty made this evacuation to depend on two conditions : Firft, That the Court of England fhould give proper fecurity, that the army commanded by Prince Fer- dinand fhould be difbanded, and not lerve againft the King’s Allies. Secondly, That his Britannic Majefty would agree on fome reftitution which fhould be judged reafonable on the part of England, as a compenfation or the French troops evacuating Gottingen, the Landgraviate of Hefie, and the county of Hanau. Mr. Stanley arrived at Marly at the fame time that Mr. BufTy arrived at Lon- don. The Englifh Minifter, at the very firft conference, declared in the name of his court, that the King his Mafter would fupport his Allies with Efficacy and good Faith (Thefe were the terms he made ufe of.) The King’s Minifter who conferred with Mr. Stanley, anfwered him by a Declaration equally precife, with refpeCt to his Majefty’s intention to fulfil his engagements with regard to the Allies of France : but as the Peace between the Emprefs Queen and the King of Prufiia was to be negociated at the Congrefs at Augfbourg, which was fixed for the pacification of Germany, the D. de ChoifeuI obferved that the differences be- tween her Imperial Majefty and the King of Prufiia were by no means the fub- jetft on which the French and Engl'ilb Minifters were reciprocally difpatched. The fubfequent conferences pafied in difeufting the periods fixed in the Memo- rial of the 26th March; but the Englifh Minifter, both at London and at Paris,, eluded giving any pofitive anfwer on that fubjeft. It is neceflary to obferve, that the Britifh Court had refolved on the enterprize againft Belleifie, fince the Memorial of the month of March. The expectation of fuccefs from that Expedition, no doubt retarded, on their part, a categorical anfwer in relation to the epochs. Mr. Pitt, being prefled on that fubjeCt by M. Buffy, had (hewn himfelf averfe from declaring any thing decifive ; on which his Majefty wrote to his Minifies at London, to elucidate and fix precifely the bafis of the Negociation, relative to the Uti Pcffidetis and the epochs, and by that means to accelerate the Negocii- tion of peace. The ifiand of Belleifie was taken : Mr. Pitt then gave M. Bufly the Memorial here annexed. No. XVI. The Memorial of the Britifh Minifter of the 17 lb June 1761. ' TVvJR- Stanley having reprefented by his letter of the 8th of June, that the * D. de ChoifeuI, in the courfe of their conferences, had agreed 'That the * epochs muft ft ill remain a matter of Negociation., but that his Excellency never thehfs * was of opinion , that in the prefent ft ate of that affair , according to the natural and * ufual courfe of things , his Moft Cbriftian Majefty having already named the ift of 1 September, July, and May, his Britannic Majefty fhould proceed, either by accept- * ing of thofe days , or by naming others more agreeable to bis intentions , which were * probably regulated by preparations and deftgns of which the Court of Frame was ig- norant ; / [ *4 ] ‘ norant ; that this method appeared to him more likely to expedite the bujinefs than * the making of re- iterated proportions on their part , which could only be grounded 4 on mere conjeSlure. It is upon this footing, that, in order to make a return to ‘ the above invitation on the part of France, as well as in confequence of his * Majefty’s having accepted the propofition of the faid Court of the 26th March ^ * lad, his Majefty offers to agree with the Moft Chriftian King, that the firfl uay * of July, September and November following, fhall refpedtively be the diffe- 4 rent periods or epochs, to fix the Uti Pojfidetis which France has propofed to * make the bafis of the treaty which may be negociated between the two Powers. * All other conquefts made beyond thofe periods fhall be mutually reftored. « But as his Majefty is of opinion that epochs which have no reference to the ac- « tual fignature of fomething obligatory between the two Crowns, muff necef- « farily be only a vain illufion, void of ufe or reality ; or that it might even hap- * pen that in the end they may prove the foutce of intricate difputes, and dan- * gerous and captious altercations ; and the King having no other view but to ‘ concur with the upright intentions of his Moft Chriftian Majefty, in accelerat- * ing and confirming the bleffing of peace to both nations, his Majefty only of- * fers to agree to the aforefaid epoch, on the two following conditions : * 1. That every thing which fhall be happily adjufted between the two Crowns, 1 in relation to their particular war, fhall be made obligatory, final, and conclu- * five, independent of the fate of the Negotiation at Augfbourg, which is to com- * pofe and terminate the dilputes of Germany, and to re-eftablifh a general 4 peace. * 2. That the faid definitive Treaty of Peace between Great Britain and France * fhall be concluded, figned and ratified, or preliminary articles to that end, be- * tween this and the firfl of Auguft next. * The Reftitution of the prizes taken at fea, fhall be regulated according to * the refpedlive terms which are ufual for different parts of the globe ; which * terms are to be computed from the day of the fignature of the faid definitive * treaty, or of preliminary articles of peace, in cafe a ratification enfues. * The King defiring farther to facilitate the falutary work of Peace, as far as * reafon and juftice will admit, declares moreover, that with regard to Belleiffe, ‘ his Majefty will agree, in the faid future Treaty, to enter into compenfation for * that important conqueft. ‘ With regard to farther compenfations for any part of tKfc-other conquefts * made by the Crown of Great Britain, his Majefty referves himfelf, till he fhall ‘ learn what are the Moft Chriftian King’s defires in that refpedl, which when 4 he fhall know, his Majefty will open himfelf with perfedl fincerity and good 4 faith. We fee by this Memorial, the epochs which England required to determine the Uti pojfidetis, were farther diftant by two months than thofe offered by France*; and it was evident that as the enterprize againft Belleifle had determined Entrant! to defer her anfwer with regard to the epochs, fo the fuccejfs. f that expedition had made them refolve to fix the term of July for Europe, fpecified in the Englifh . c 25 3 Englifh Memorial, inftead of May, which wa$‘ propofed by the French Memo- rial. England made the epochs fhe affigned depend on two conditions. The firft of thole conditions departed both from the letter and the fpiritof the Memorial of the 26th of March : for although France had propofed to treat of a peace fepa- rately with England ; neverthelefs his Majefty’s intention was not regulated by this principle of the negotiation, that peace could be concluded with England, without providing for the peace of Germany. In fa< 5 t, the Memorial of the 26th March, from which the Court of E.ngland drew fuch advantageous arguments, opened with this expreflion, The Moft Chriftian King is defirous that the particular peace of France 'with England Jhould be united with the general peace of Europe. The fecond condition, with refpedt to difcuffing and fettling the Articles, fo that they might be figned and ratified by the ift of Auguft, was very difficult to be fulfilled in regard to a War, which extended over the four quarters of the globe, this condition propofed by England not being known to France till the end of June. France returned no fpecific anfvver to the Memorial of the Court of London ; but verbally acquiefced, as far as poffible, to the fecond condition : and with re- gard to the firft, the King required the confent of the Court of Vienna, to con- clude a^feparate peace with England. This Confent was neceffary, fi nee, from the beginning, as is before mentioned, it was agreed between her Majefty and his allies, that they ffiould treat of peace leparately •, but that all the belligerant par- ties ffiould come to a conclufion together. Though the Emprefs Queen was perfe&ly fenfible of the prejudice which the alliance might fuftain by a r.egociation in Germany, at a time that France was ac peace with England ; yet her Imperial Majefty, to oblige the King, agreed, on this occafion, to facrifice her own intereft to the defire which his Majefty expreffed tor the eftabliffiment of peace. This princefs confented to the feparate accom- modation of France with England, upon this exprefs and equitable condition, that nothing ffiould be therein ftipulated, which might be contrary to the intereft of the Houle of Auftria. The conclufion of the Britiffi Memorial contained a Propoficion for France to make fome overtures with regard to the compenfations. The King availed himfelf of this intimation, and ordered a Memorial to be prepared, including fpecific pro- portions, which pur. the negociation in a proper train, and fixed its bafis on ex- prefs and determinate points. France was perfectly fenfible how difad vantageous it was to her, to make her enemies acquainted with the favourable conditions which it was agreed to allow them, in cider to fucceed in the re eftabliffiment of peace : ffie was confcious, that it was juft and reafonable for France, who made the firft propofiticn of Uti pojfidetis , to wait till England explained herfelf concerning the Compenfations: but ffie flattered herfelf, that England was fincerely defirous of re-eflabliffiintr the union between the two Crowns •, and the advantages, which would redound to England from the offers of France, were fo vifible and extenfive, that there was no fufpicion that the Court of London would increafe the difficulties of a nego- ^ ciation 37 ciatTon, which France was zealous to terminate without delay, and to the fatif- iatflion of the two powers. Before a Memorial of propofitions was fent in form to the court of London, his Majefty’s Minifter, entrufted to confer with M. Stanley, gave him previous aflijrances of the facrifices which his Majefty had refolved to make. He autho- red him to write word, that France would guaranty the poffeflion of Canada to England, provided that England would reftore to the King the ifland of Cape Breton, and confirm the right of the French to fifh, and dry their fifh, in the gulf of St. Lawrence, upon the coaft, and in the ifland, of Newfoundland. As the ifland of Cape Brecon, if fortified, might afford England matter of jeJoufy, the French Minifter told M. Stanley, that the King engaged to deftroy all the fortifications which might remain in that ifland, and not to eredl any new ones upon any pretence whatever. The port of Louifbourg being to be confidered only as a fhelter for the fifhermen in the gulf of St. Laurence, and on the coaft of Newfoundland, France offered to reftore the ifland of Minorca to England, pro- vided they would give up the iflands of Guadaloupe and Marigalante in return. With regard to the Eaft Indies, they propofed that the treaty of the Sieurs Godeheu and Saunders, made in the year 1755, fhou'd be confirmed. That treaty, although advantageous to the Englifh Company, was judged to be molt effectual for maintaining peace between the two Companies, and to recal them to views of commerce much more analogous to their reciprocal , interefts, than profpedts of conquefts, which had hitherto kept them at variance. With refpedt to Africa, France required that England fhould reftore either Senegal or Goree, and on thofe conditions the King declared that he would eva- cuate Gottingen, Hefife, and the county of Hanau, would withdraw his forces upon the Rhine and the Maine, and would leave no French troops in Germany but in proportion to what troops of the enemy remained afiembled in the Britifh army at Weftphalia. Mr. Stanley took notes of thefe overtures which were made by the D. de Choifeul, who told him moreover that the propofitions made to the Englifh Minifter, could only be confidered as intimations of conditions which might pof- fibly be agreed to, and as preliminary fteps to the Memorial which France deter- mined to tranfmit to the Court of London in form, if the points difeuffed in the conference of the D. de Choifeul with Mr. Stanley fhould be thought proper to ferve as a bafis for the Negotiation of peace. c 1 [ 27 ] imt that tills would be granted on condition that Dunkirk was demolilhed, as it was Uipulated to have b:cn by the treaty of Utrecht. Till this moment, no mention had been made of Dunkirk, either in what had paded by word of mouth, or in writing, with relation to the peace between the two Crowns. In faft, it was unjuft to infift on this article, fince the Court of London, hav- ing had this principle eftabliftied, in treating of peace, to adhere to the Memo- rial of Uti pojedetis of the 26th March, they could not pretend that the pre- lent ftate of Dunkirk was comprized in the Uti poffidetis of France. The liberty of lifhing, and the fhelter without fortifications, was the compen- fation for the cefiion of all Canada, and of the guaranty which France offered to make to England of that confiderable part of North America. The reftitution of the ifland of Minorca was certainly equivalent to the ceffion of Guadaloupe and. Marigalante ; and the evacuation of Heffe and the other countries apper- taining to the Elector of Hanover and to the Landgrave, was compenfated by the reftitution of Senegal and Goree, and of Belle-lfle, which had been conquer- ed fince the Memorial of the 26th March, and after the propofition of the epochs propofed in that Memorial. Befides, France had declared, at the time of taking Belle-lfle, that Ihe did not underftand that conqueft was to have been an objedl of compenfation, and that lbe thought the keeping of Belle Ifle would be more expenfive than profitable to England. r Mr. Stanley, in oppofing the ceflion of Ifle Royal to France, abfolutely re- filled the reftitution of Senegal and Goree, pretending that Senegal could not be fecurely maintained without Goree ; in the end, he infilled on the demolition of Dunkirk as a condition abfolutely neceffary. The article relating to Germany was not negotiated on his part j and after fcveral conferences it was agreed that France ftiould prepare a Memorial of lpecific propofitions, which fhould be fent to England. The Memorial was drawn, and is here annexed. No. XVII. The French Memorial^ 1 §th July, ij 6 i. * 'THE Negotiations of peace entered upon between France and England, * have proved that the Sovereigns fincerely wife to re-eftablifti that union * an « aiTllt y> agreeable to humanity, between the two Crowns •, and the refo- ‘ lut i° n in which the King concurs, in conjunction with his Britannic Majefty, * to terminate by a precife and durab’e treaty, the differences which have oc- ‘ cafioncd the prefent war, has determined his Majefty, always maintaining the ‘ fpirit and letter of the declaration of the 26th March laft, in relation to the means of procuring peace, to explain more precifely by this Memorial, the * conditions which appear to him moft proper to accomplilh the defirable end 4 which influences him as well as the King of England. ‘ .Lut the King declares at the fame time, that he entrufts this propofition 4 with the King of Great Britain, that if it fhould 'not be accepted by his Bri- D 2 ‘ tan- [ 28 ] 4 tannic Majefty, or fhould not ferve as a Bafts for the Negotiation of the future 4 peace, the Court of London (hall in no circumftances take advantage of it, e the faid propofition made in confidence to the King of Great Britain having 4 no other objedt than the accelerating of a Negotiation in which the two Crowns 4 are fo much interefted. / ‘ The Uti pojfidelis exprefled in the declaration of the 26th March, is adopted * on both Tides ; it would be difficult for either party to rejedl it; for though it * was not exprefled, it is properly according to what they poflefs only either law- * fully or by conqueft, that the parties can negotiate together concerning peace, ‘ and the compenfations requifite for that purpole. ‘ The periods of the Statu Quo, which form the fecond effential article in the * declaration of the 26th March, and which have remained in Negotiation be- * tween the two Courts, have not yet been fettled. The Court of France has * propofed the epochs of May, July and September ; that of England has pro- * poled the epochs of July, September and November. That queftion will be * determined without farther Negotiation, if the fcheme of the following treaty ‘ is adopted by the Court of London, for then all the epochs will be valid, as ‘ that of the peace will unite the fentiments and opinions of the two Kings. * It is the compenfations therefore which will determine the epochs and the * peace, and it is to fettle them that his Majefty propofes the following articles ‘ to the King of Great Britain. Article I. ‘ The King cedes and guaranties Canada to the King of England, fiich as ‘ it has been and in right ought to be poflefled by France, without reftri&ion, ' and without the liberty of returning upon any pretence whatever againft this ‘ ceflion and guaranty, and without interrupting the crown of England in the * entire pofieflion of Canada. II. The King, in making over his full right of fovereignty over Canada to the ‘ King of England, annexes four conditions to the ceflion. Firft, that the free ‘ cxercife of the Roman Catholic religion fhall be maintained there, and that ‘ King of England will give the moft precife and effectual orders that his ‘ new Roman Catholic fubjefts may, as heretofore, make public profeflion of ‘ their religion, according to the rites of the Roman Church. Secondly, that the French inhabitants or others, who have been fubjedb of ‘ the King in Canada, may retire into the French colonies with all poflible free- ‘ dom and fecurity ; that they may be allowed to fell their effedb, and to tranf- ‘ P ort their property as well as their perfons, without being reftrained in their ‘ emigration, on any pretence whatever (except for debt ;) and the En^lilh °- 0 - ' vernment fhall engage to precure them the means of tranfportation at as little 1 expence as poflible. ‘ Thirdly, r 29 ] * Thirdly, that the limits of Canada, with regard to Louifiana, (hall be clearly « and firmly eftablifhed, as well as thofe of Louifiana and Virginia, in fuch man- ‘ ner, that after the execution of peace, there may be no more difficulties between * the two nations, with refpedl to the conftrudlion of the limits with regard to * Louifiana, whether with refpeft to Canada, or the other pofieffions of England. N. B. M. Bufly has a Memorial on the fubjett of the limits of Louifiana, which gives him power to come to a final treaty on that article •with die Miniftry of his Britannic Majefty. ‘ Fourthly, that the liberty of billing, and of drying their cod-fiffi on the banks of ‘ Newfoundland, may be confirmed to the French as heretofore : and as this con- ‘ firmation would be illufory, if the French vdfels had not a ffielter in thole parts « appertaining to their nation, the King of Great Britain, in confideration of the * guaranty of his new conquefts, fhall reftore Ifle Royal, or Cape Breton, to be ‘ enjoyed by France in entire fovereignty. It is agreed, to fix a value on this * reltitution, that France fhall not, under any denomination whatever, erect any ‘ fortifications on the ifland, and ffiall confine herfelf to maintain civil eftabliffi- * ments there, and the port for the convenience of thefifhing veflels landing there. III. * France ffiall reftore to England the ifland of Minorca, and Fort St. Phi - * lip, in the ftme condition it was in when it was conquered by the King’s forces, * together with the artillery belonging to England, which was in the fort at the * time of taking the ifland. IV. * In confideration of this reftitutiorr, England, in her turn, fliall reftore to * France the ifland of Guadaloupe and Marigalante ; and thofe two iflands ffiall * be ceded in the lame condition they were in at the time they were conquered by * the arms of England. V. . * The iflands called neuter, are Dominica, Saint Vincent, Saint Lucia, and * Tabago. The two firft are occupied by the Carribees, under the protection of ‘ France, according to the treaty of 1660 : they ffiall remain in the condition * they have been fince that treaty. ‘ The Crown of England has not yet ffiewn any title, which gives them a right * o' er the two laft ; neverthelefs, it fliall be a matter of negociation between the * two crowns, either that the four iflands ffiall remain abfolutely neuter, or that * the two pofiefied by the Carribees alone ffiall be declared neuter ; and that Eng- * land fliall enter into poflifiion, as fovereign, over the ifland of Tabago, in the * fame manner as France over that of St. Lucia, having, at all times, the right ‘ of a third perfon, with whom the two crowns will explain thcmfelves, if fuch a ‘ right exifts. VI. * ^ w0U W be advantageous for the companies of the two nations in the Eaft- Indies, to abftain for ever from all military views and conquefts, to re- Ifiain themfelves, and mutually to afiift each other in the bufinefs of commerce, which more properly belongs to them. The p’recife fituation iij which the two na- tions ft and, is not known in trance: wherefore the King, in order to confine himfelf, in that refpedl, to the objeft molt ufefol, both for the prefent and hereafter, to the two companies, propofes to the King of England the treaty concluded between the Sieurs Godeheu and Saunders, as a balls for the re-efta- blilhment of the peace of Alla. vir. ‘ The colonies of South America, in pofTelTlon of the French, neceflarily require negroes to cultivate them ; the French fettlements of Senegal and Goree fupplied the wants of the French colonies in this refpeft. England" in keeping thofe fet- tlements, would prejudice France, without procuring any pofitive advantages for herfelf ; and the union which the two Sovereigns fo fincerely wilh to efta- blifli between the two Crowns, leaves no room to fuppofe that the Court of London has any fuch intentions of mifehief. Neverthelefs, France, with a view to the blelfings of peace, offers England the choice of the pofieffions of Sene- gal or Goree, meaning that one or the other poiTeffion lhall be reftored and guarantied to the King by his Britannic Majefty. VIII. ‘ Tt °/ BeIIe ' Ifle ancl the fortrefs conquered by the arms of England lhall be reftored to France, together with the artillery therein at the time of the conqueft. IX. co j} deration of the 8th Article to be granted by England, the King will caufe his forces in Germany to evacuate the Landgraviate of Helfe the county of Hanau, as well as the town, which lhall not be occupied by the troops of either Power, leaving the navigation of the Maine free, and thofe parts of the Eleaorate of Hanover occupied by the French troops ; and thefe evacuations lhall be preceded by a fufpenfion of arms between the two Crowns which fufpenfion of arms lhall take place from the day of the ratification of ie preliminaries, or the Article of the Definitive Treaty, not only in Germa- ny, but in all parts of the world where France and England are at war. . As the King is under an engagement with the Emprefs Queen, to ftipulate nothing in his l reaty of Peace with England which may b^ difadvantateous o her Imperial Majefty, and as it was forefeen that, in cafe of a fufpenfion be- ween the french and Brmlh forces, the German troops in the pay of Eng- and might join thofe. of the King of Pruflia againft the AuftHan armicS the King, faithful to his engagements with his allies, and very far from in- tending to fett.e any thing to her prejudice, propofes to the King of England, ‘ that [ 3i ] ‘ that ;t may be a g recd between them, that his Britannic Majefty will undertake ‘ that no part of- the forces which compole Prince Ferdinand’s army, fhall, t “ nc * er an y pretence whatever, or under any denomination, join the army of f 1 s 1 rufllan Majefly, oratft offenfiVely againft the Emprefs Queen or her allies •, ‘ and in like manner, no French forces,, under any pretence, fhall join the Im- ‘ penal army, or ferve againft the .Allies of Great Britain. To alcertain thele t portions, it fhall be farther concluded, that after thele evacuations, the army of the Upper Rhine, commanded by Martha! Broglio, fhall re ire towards the Maine, the Necker and the Rhine, occupying Francfort •, and that of the ‘ Lower Rhine commanded by Marfhal. Soubife, fhall, on the other fide, retired * towards the Rhine, occupying Wefel and Guelders. ‘ The countries belonging to the King of Pruffia, on the Lower Rhine, have * beer L conc I uered > and are actually governed in the name of the Emprefs Queen : the King would not undertake to evacuate them without the confent of her Im- ‘ perial Majefty, and before the fuccefs of the Negotiations at the Cono-refs at ‘ Augfbourg, which is to re ft ore Peace between the Emprefs and the King of Pruffia ; but as it would be difadvantageous to the two Crowns to maintain a confiderable body of national forces in Germany, which, in time of peace, would remain in abfolute inactivity, and, by the Conventions of the Treaty, ‘ would become ufelefs in every refped to the Allies of France and England, the "• King undertakes, that, from the time that his Britannic Majefty do recal the Englifh whom he has fent to his army in Germany, he will caufe double the ‘ number of French forces in his Majefty’s armies on the Upper and Lower Rhine to return to France, fo that no French troops fhall continue in thofe parts, but in proportion to thofe which the King of England fhall keep in pay. If before the execution of the Treaty, one of the two Powers fhould make t a °y, conquefts, in whatever part of the world it be, they ifiall be reftored without hefitation, and without requiring any recompence. XII. * The captures made at fea by England before the declaration of the war, ' . ar ^. ob J eples are inconteftible, nothing remains but to examine the date of the de- ‘ claration [ ,32 ] ‘ claration of war, between the two Crowns, and the date of the Captures •, aH * that has been taken prior to the declaration, cannot be adjudged lawful prize, ‘ without overthrowing the moll falutary laws •, it will be in vain to alledge that ‘ the French began hoftilities, and that the captures were taken by way of re- ‘ prizal. Whac connexion can there be between fuppofed hoftilities olfered at 4 Fort Duquefne, and the capture of trading vefiels in the fouth part of Arne- * rica ? Thefe hoftilities are the motives for the Declaration of War ; but the ef- 4 feds of that Declaration cannot take place, till after the faid Declaration is ‘ made public ; and it would be unjuft to make individuals fuftain a lofs, who * are totally ignorant of the fads and circumftances of a latent hoflility in a * corner of the world, which has occafioned a general war between the two 4 nations. 4 This argument is deemed unanfwerable in France ; and it is on this footing * that the King challenges the right of nations, to the end that fome expedient 4 may be agreed upon in the future Treaty as a recompenfe for the captures made * upon his lubjeds previous to the Declaration of War, without entering into any * difeuflion about Reprizals, which fhould be forgotten when the two Courts 4 draw near to an agreement. France confults nothing but the intereft of the in- 4 dividuals who have been fufferers, and does not pretend to include the King’s 4 fhips taken before the Declaration in the lettlement of the Captures, as the lofs 4 of the King’s fliips may be confidered as a confeouence of the motives of the 4 War. XIII. 4 Though, during the courfe of the prefent War, the article of former Trea- 4 ties which guaranty the fucceflion to the Throne of Great Britain, according to the prefent eftablifhment, has not been infringed, ncverthelefs the King is 4 well difpofed to comprize that Guaranty in the future Treaty, if the Kina of 4 England defires it. XIV. 4 The prifoners made on each fide, as well by fea as land, fhall be fet at fi- 4 berty, and fent home without ranfom, immediately on the ratification of the 4 Peace. His Britannic Majefty will readily perceive, that thefe articles are not drawn in 4 the form of a treaty ; they are only offered to him as articles explained in their 4 full extent, which elucidate the fentiments of France, and put the two Crowns 4 in a condition to treat upon certain and diftind objeds.’ This Memorial was fent to London on the 15th of July. The date is men- tioned, becaufethe Britifh Miniftry reproached the French Mirtiftry with having delayed the difpatch of the Memorial •, and it is proper to obferve, that the Ja'ft anfvver from England did not reach France till the iff: of July ; that there was a neceffity of having feveral conferences with Mr. Stanley, to form the fcheme of a treaty, which comprehended the precife dilcufiion of objeds in every part of the world where the two Crowns are at war, and which was to produce the re-efta- 5 bli fli men t [ 33 J blifhment of peace, or die continuance of the war. The reproach of a delay of fifteen days, upon fo interefting a bufinefs, was certainly an inftance of injuftice. However that point be fettled, it is fubmitted to the difcernment and juftice of all Europe to determine, whether the Memorial of France of the 15th July did not confirm the principles of reconciliation, which had hitherto apnearcd in every ftep taken by that Crown. The Court of France afted with fuch integrity, in the confidence file repofed in the pacific difpofition of England, that°hav- ing facrificed confiderable interefts, fhe carried her forecaft fo far, as to inti- mate to the Court of London her apprehenfions left the matters which remained to be difcufied between Spain and England, and which were not yet adjufted, fiiould in the end prove an obftacle to the duration and folidity of the peace which the King and his Britannic Majefty were defirous of re eftablifiiing between them. In confequence of thefe apprehenfions, M. Bufiy had orders to remind the Court of London, with refpedt to the lubjedt of the Neutral Iflands, fpecified in the 2.0th article of the Memorial, that his Catholic Majefty made fome claims upon thofe Iflands, with which the Court of Madrid had recently made that of Verfailles acquainted. The French Minifter was charged at the fame time to re- prefent to Mr. Pitt, how dangerous it would be to determine the fate of thofe Iflands, without paying regard to the claims of his Catholic Majefty. M. Bufiy was ordered to add, that it wa? evident that the Court of Spain would agree to the fettlement which ftiould be made between France and England, in relation to the four Iflands in queftion, provided that the three articles negotiated at Lon-: don on the part of the Court of Madrid, were adjufted at the fame time that the. Peace with France lho.uld be concluded there; and to teftify a fincerity as laud- able as it was perfect, M. Bufiy was charged to annex to the Memorial of Propo- fitions, the particular Memorial which follows relative to Spain. No. XVIII. ^he private Memorial of France , of 15th July, 1761, relating to Spain. * AS it is eflential, and agreeable to the defire of France and England, that the * proje&ed Treaty of Peace fiiould ferve as a bafis for a folid reconciliation * between the two Crowns, which may not be liable to be interrupted by the in- * terefts of a third Power, and the engagements which either one or the other * may have entered into previous to their reconciliation, he propofes that the * King of Spain fhall be invited to guaranty the future Treaty of Peace between ‘ his Majefty and the King of Great Britain. This Guaranty will obviate all ‘ prefent and future inconveniences with regard to the folidity of the Peace. ‘ The King will not difguife from his Majefty, that the differences of Spain * with England fill him with apprehenfions, and give him room to fear, that, if * they are not adjufted, they will occafion a frefli war in Europe and America. * The King of Spain has communicated to his Majefty the three articles which * remain to be difcufied between his Crown and the Crown of Britain : which * are. E 1. * The i E 34 ] 1. * The reffiitution of fome captures which have been made during t e pre en war upon the Spanifh Flag. f 2. ‘ The privilege for the Spanifli nation to fifh upon the Banks of JNew- foundland. . 3 . ‘ The demolition of the Englifti fettlements made upon the Spamlh tern ries in the Bay of Honduras. . < Thefe three articles may be eafily adjufted agreeable to the equity o tie two nations ■ and tteKn* earneftly wiihcs, chac fomo accommodattons may bo thought on to the farisfaflion of the Spamlh and Englilh i.anons, with regard to° hSfc 1 articles i but he cannot difguiVe from England i the danger hr = appre- hends, and of which he mud neceffanly partake, if thefe objedts, which teem nearly to concern his Catholic Majefty, fhould be the occafion of a Wa r. H.s Majefty, therefore, deems it a principal point of confutation firm and advantageous Peace, that, at the fame time that that defirable l oint final 1 be concluded between France and England, his Britanmc^ terminate his differences with Spain, and agree to invite h» Cathohc Majefty to guaranty the Treaty which is to reconcile ^pray Heaven for ever) his Ma- iefty and the King of England. . . , . m tY »ic J . As to what remains, his Majefty does not intimate his apprehenfion in this refpedt to the Court of London, but with the moft fincere and upright inten- tions to obviate every impediment which may arife hereafter to '^ur union of the French ahd Englifh nations ; and he defires his Britannic Majefty, whom he fuppofes influenced by the fame good wifhes, freely to communicate his fentiments on fo effential an objedK The precaution of France to enfure the folidity of the Peace, comprized every obiedt which could conduce to that end. The fuccours which his Majefty and the Kine of England afforded their Allies in Germany, left a fource of war ftill fubfiftin", and an expence detrimental to both nations. The King judged, that the moft* natural means to put an end to the difputes which the fuccours to be af- forded their refpedtive Allies might produce, would be to come to an agreement Between France and England, that France, on her part, fhould not yield any kind of fuccour to the Emprefs-Queen, and in like manner, that England fhould be bound not to furnifh any ailiftance to the King of PrufTia. it woul have been a violation of good faith to have ftipuhted this withdrawing of all fuc- cour, without the confent of the Allies.’ The King required the eonfent of the Emprefs Queen, and obtained it early enough, for M. Buffy to tranfmit the following note to the Britifh Minifter relative to that objeft, at the fame time that he gave him the Memorial of the French ptopofitions, and that whixfcr. related to Spain-. 6 n m tm M' > [ 35 1 No. XIX. M. Bujfy's Note to Mr. Pitt. K C I N C E the Memorial of the propofitions from France was formed, and at « ^ the inftant that the courier was ready to fet out for London, the King re- * ceived the confent of the Emprefs Queen to a feparate peace with England, * but upon two conditions : i. ‘ To keep poffeffion of the countries belonging to the King of Pruffia. jmorial containing the propofitions, clearly explains the means of reconciling France and England with refped to their particular interefts •, and that the Note, No.XlX, removes all obftacles which the fuccours to be given to the Allies in Ger- many might throw in the way of a reconciliation between the two Crowns. In fad, what could be more juft and advantageous both to France and England, in the circumftances in which they flood, than wholly and abfolutcly to withdraw from the war in Germany. Laftly, in order to prevent the flames of war from breaking out afrefh in Europe, which the complaints of Spain might re- kindle, and in which France, fooner or later, would have been forced to have taken part ; nothing could be deemed more difcreet than the propofition contained in the Memorial, No. XVIII. more efpecially as that propofition was the natural refult of the good offices which his Catholic Majefty had offered to the Crown, the preceding years, in order to mediate peace between them, which kind offices had been accepted on the part of France by an authentic declaration, which had not then been oppofed by England. might be able to confer with M. Bufiy thereupon without lofs of time. The King had even tranfmitted very minute inftrudions to his Minifter at London, which contained frefli expedients for reconciling the differences of France with England, in relation to the rel’pedive poffeffions of the two Crowns in America, Ihouid laitiy is Ma- 2. * That it fliall be ftipulated, that the King of Great Britain, neither in * his capacity of King or Eledor, fliall afford any fuccour, either in troops, or of * any kind whatever, to the King of Pruffia •, and that his Britannic Majefty will * undertake that the Hanoverian, Heffian, Brunfwickian, and the other Auxili- * aries in alliance with Hanover, fliall not join the forces of the King of Pruffia, « in like manner as France fliall engage, on her part, not to yield fuccour of any « Both thefe conditions appear fo natural and equitable in themfelves, that « his Majefty could not do otherwife than acquiefce in them, and he hopes that * the King of Great Britain will be ready to adopt them.’ kind to the Emprefs Queen, nor her Allies. Upon reading thefe vouchers with attention, it may be obferved, that the Me- 11 fa- >f fa it fa tin* M. Bufiy laid thefe feveral pieces before Mr. Pitt on the 23d of July. They had been previoufly communicated to Mr. Stanley, to the end that that Minifter might tranfmit a circumftantial account of them to his court, and that the Eng- lifh Minifter might be apprized of the objeds included in the difpatch, and E 2 Africa, [ 3 « ] Africa, and Afia. His Majefty had forefeen that the taking of Pondicherry, of which an account came but a few days before, might occafion lo me alteration which it might be neceflary to obviate by frefh facriftees, if fuch fhould be deeme expedient •, but the Englilh Minifter, in the conference at which the pieces were laid before him, difeovered his per.fonal oppofition to peace : he refuted to agree to any of the articles in the Menhorial of propofitions •, he entered very little into the particular motives of his oppofition ; he expatiated with feme warmtn on the Memorial which related to Spain ; rejected the Note which concerned the Allies in Germany with difdain ; and concluded with faying, 1 hat he would take the directions of the King his Mafter, with refped to thofe two laft pieces, and that he would tranfmit to Mr. Stanley the anfwer of his Britannic Majefty to the pro- pofitions of France. In confequence of this, Mr. Pitt, having returned M. Bully the Memorials concerning Spain and Germany, wrote a letter to him on the' 24th of July, conceived in the following terms. No. XX. Mr. Pin's Letter to M. Bujfy , 24 tb July 1761 . SIR * ttAVING explained myfelf, in our conference yefterday, with refpeCt to ‘ certain engagements of France with Spain, relative to the difputes of the « latter Crown with Great Britain, of which your court never informed us, but at ‘ the very infant of making, as Ike has done, her firft propofitions for the fe- ‘ parate peace of the two Crowns; and as you have defired, for the fake of * greater punctuality, to take a note of what paffed between us upon fo weighty ‘ a fubject, 1 here repeat. Sir, by his Majefty’s order, the fame Declaration, * word for word, which I made to you yefterday, and again anticipate you with * refpeCt to the rnoft fincere fentiments of friendfhip and real regard on the part « of his Majefty towards the Catholic King, in every particular confiftent with * reafon and juftice. It is my duty to declare farther to you in plain terms, in * the name of his Majefty, That he will not fuffer the difputes with Spain to be 4 blended, in any manner whatever, in the Negotiation of Peace between the two ‘ Crowns ; to which I mult add. That it will be confidered as an affront to his ‘ Maiefty’s dignity, and as a thing incompatible with the fincerity of the Nego- * tiation, to make farther mention of fuch a circumftance. ‘ Moreover, it is expeCted that France will not, at any time, prefume a right * of intermeddling in fuch Difputes between Great Britain and Spain. * Thefe Confiderations, fo juft and indifpenfible, have determined his Majefty ‘ to order me to return you the Memorial which occafions this, as Wholly inad- *'■ mifiible. ‘ I likewife return you, Sir, as totally inadmifiible, the Memorial relative to 4 the King of Prufiia, as implying an Attempt upon the Honour of Great Bri- 4 tain, and the Fidelity with which his Majelly will always fulfil his F.ngage- 4 ments with his Allies. 4 I have tire Honour to be, &c.’ ' ' Signed Pitt. _ The [ 37 3 ' The ftyle oF this Letter, and the manner of returning the Memorials, do not \ bear the marks of that conciliating temper, by which the Court of hngland would hitherto have been thought to have been influenced. The Anfwers to the Memorial of the French Propofnions, which were re- mitted to Verfailles on the 29th July, are extremely analogous with Mr. Pitt’s Letter •, they are dictated with an air of haughtinels and dcfpotilm which might have fhocked a Court of lefs confequence than that of France. They follow word for word. No. XXI. The Anfw er cf the Britijh Ccurt to the Memorial of French Fropfitions . 29 th July* 1761. A Paper of Articles to be delivered to Mr. Stanley, as the definitive propofitions from the Court of Great Britain. 1# « rr I S Britannic Majefty will never recede from the entire and total cefhon < *1 on the Part of France, without any new limits, or any exception what- ever, of all Canada and its appurtenances; and his Majefty will never relax, with regard to the full and compleat ceftion on the Part of France,, of the Ifle of Cape Breton, and of all the other Iflands in the Gulph or in the River ot St. Lawrence, with the right of fifhing, which is infeparably incident to the pofleffion of the aforefaid Coafts, and of the Canals or Streights which lead 2. 2 3 4 With refped to fixing the limits of Lodifiana, with regard to Canada, or* the Enwlifh PofTeflions fituate on the Ohio, as alfo on the Coaft of Virginia, it can never be allowed that whatever does not belong to Canada (hall appertain to Louifiana, nor that the boundaries of the laft Province fhould extend to Virginia, or to the Britilh pofieffions on the borders of the Ohio; the nations and countries which lie intermediate, and which form the true bairiei between the aforefaid provinces, not being proper, on any account, to be directly or by neceftary confequence ceded to France, even admitting them to be included in the limits of Louifiana. . 3. ‘ Senegal, with all its Rights and Dependancies upon the River which bears its name, ftiall be ceded to Great Britain in the moft full and ample manner; as alfo the Ifland of Goree, fo effentially conneded with Senegal. 4. * Dunkirk ftiall be reduced to the condition in which it ought to have been after the Treaty of Utrecht, without which no Peace can be concluded ; and upon that condition only can his Majefty ever confent to enter on the cdnflde- ration of the demand which France has made, viz. The reftitiltion of the privilege granted by the thirteenth article of the. faid treaty, with certain limi- tations and under certain reftridions, for the fubjeds of France to fifh and dry their fifii on part of the Blinks of Newfoundland. - 4 Though the titles by which the Kingdom of Great Britain has, on many occafions, maintained its right to the Iflands of St. Lucia and Tabago, have never yet been refuted ; and though his Majefty by force of arms has acquired J pofleuxon « c 4 4 4 4 4 4 f € f. 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4. 4 4 4 4 * t 38 ] * pofllflion of St. Dominica, and of the French Colony eftablilhed before the ‘ commencement of the war; neverthelefs his Majefty, from that principle of * moderation, which is fo becoming to Kings, will confent to an equal partition ■* of the four Klands, commonly called the Neutral Iflands, which partition fhall * be regulated in the enfuing treaty. 6. ‘ The illand of Minorca fhall be immediately reftored in the condition it * was at the time of its being tiken, together with the artillery, &c. appertain- * ing to that illand. 7. ‘ France fhall immediately reftore and evacuate the conquefls fhe has made * over his Majefty’s Allies in Germany ; that is to fay, of all the States and 4 Countries appertaining to the Landgrave of Hefle, to the Duke of Brunfwic, ‘ and to the Electorate of Hanover, as alfo of Wefel, and of all the places and ‘ territories belonging to the King of Prufiia, in pofiefTion of the arms of France. ‘ In a word, France fhall make a general evacuation of all her conquefls, on the * fide of Hefle, Weftphalia, and its countries. 8. ‘ The King of Great Britain on his part, agrees to furrender to his Moft ‘ Chriftian Majefty, 1. The important conqueft of Belle-Ifle. 2. His Majefty * likewife contents to furrender to the Moft Chriftian King the opulent ifiand * of Guadaloupe, with that of Marigalante. 9. * The treaty concluded between Meflrs. Saunders and Godeheu, cannot * be admitted as the balls of the re-eflablifhment of the peace in Afia, becaufc ‘ th 3 t provifional treaty has had no confequences, and becaufe thofe provifions * are by no means applicable to the prefent flate of affairs in the Indies, by the ‘ final reduction of the poflefllons and fettlements of the French company in the * Eaft Indies ; but as the perfect and final fettlement with regard to that coun- * try can only be made in conformity to certain rights abfolutely appertaining * to the Englifh company, and as the King cannot juftly difpofe of their rights * without their confent, it muft necefiarily be left to the Companies of the two * nations to adjuft the terms of accommodation and reconciliation, according to * thofe rules of reafon and juftice, which the ftate and circumftances of their af- •* fairs may require, and mutually point out ; provided neverthelefs that thofe * conditions are not repugnant to the defigns and equitable intentions of their * Sovereigns for the peace and reconciliation of the two Crowns. 10. ‘ The demand of the reftitution of the captures at fea before the decla- ‘ ration of war cannot be admitted ; fuch a claim not being founded on any par- * ticular convention, and by no means refulting from the law of nations, as * there is no principle more conteftible than this, viz. that the abfolute right of * all hoftile operations does not refult from a formal declaration of war", but * from the hoftilities which the aggreflor has firft offered. 11. •* As the indifpenfable care which is due from his Majefty to his people, ‘ and the juft and invincible motives which concern the prefervation and fecuri- ‘ ty of his kingdoms, authorized by the moft formal ftipulations of folemn trea- ‘ ties (viz. thofe of Radffadt, and the Barriere) and even by the exprefs and irre- 4 vocable conditions of the cefiion of the Low Countries, will not allow France * tQ retain pofleflion of Oftend and Newport, the two places aforefaid fhall be [ 39 3 * evacuated, without delay, by the French garrifons ; it is for this reafon de- *• clared that the reftitutions fpoken of in the preceding Articles of this Meroo- ‘ rial, and particularly the convention which is to be framed and regulated with re- « fped to the Indies, cannot take place till the aforefaid evacuation of Oftend ‘ and Newport fhall be faithfully executed. 12. * The ceflation of arms between the two crowns (hall be fixed and take * place on the day of the ratification of the preliminaries, or of the definitive « treaty, and all the Articles relative to the cefiation of hoftilities, (hall be fet- * tied and take place, according to common ufage in fuch cafes, and as the cir- « cumftances indifferent parts of the world (hall require. f 13. ‘ His Majefty having, from the firft overtures made on the part of France, « declared, that in cafe the feparate peace between the two Crowns lhould be * concluded, his Majefty would continue, as an Auxiliary, faithfully toalfiftthe « King of Prufiia, with efficacy and good faith, in order to accomplifh the fa- * lutary purpofe of a general pacification in Germany ; it (hall be tree to Great * Britain and France,, to fupport, as Auxiliaries, their refpe&ive Allies, in their ‘ particular contefts for the recovery of Silefia, purfuant to the refpe&ive en- * gagements which thofe Crowns have entered into; 14. ‘ The prifoners taken on one fide and the other, both by fea and land, « (hall be releafed in the ufual manner, faving the terms which may exift by vir- «• tue of fome cartel or tome convention, which may have relation to this par- ‘ ticular. ‘ Thefe articles are not digefted into the form, nor in the detail of articles or * peace \ but it is hoped that, with regard to efifential points, this Memorial has- * that precifion and perfpicuity which leaves nothing doubtful, and which evi- ‘ dently demonftrates the fincerity and perfevcrance of his Majefty’s difpofition, « w ith refpeCf to his intentions and refolutions for the accomplilhment of fo great ‘ a blefiing as that of an entire peace between the two Crowns, The firft article of this (ketch entirely deprived the French of the liberty of filhing for cod ; and the demolition of Dunkirk required in the 4th article, on- ly reftored this liberty in part, with certain limitations and under certain reftric- tions which were not explained. From the fecond article, one might infer that England pretended, not only to keep an exclufive polleffion of all Canada, but alfo to make herfelf nnftrels of all the Neutral Countries between Canada and Louifiana, to be nearer at hand in order to invade the laft Colony when (he (hould think proper. The third Article confirmed the entire poffefllon of the African Coaft in favour of the Englifh, and deprived the French of all fettlement in that part for the Negroe trade. _ T >• The ninth entirely annihilated the French Eaft India Company. The feventh and thirteenth did not appear conclwfive. In fail, by the fiift, England propofed that France (hould evacuate Germany, and in the fecond (he agreed that the two Crowns (hould lupport their Allies in that part of Eur'ope. °Thefe anfwers, and all thofe which England has made in the courle of the ‘ nego- • - -• n C 40 ] lj|* Negotiation, evidently manifeft that the Court of London is averfe to all re- V conciliation. The Articles which declare the advantages which England would fecure, are jjj clear, decifive, and even dictatorial; thofe which concern the interefts of France, ; are obfcure, fubjed to various conftrudions, and leave a train of difcuffions, which, by leaving the fource of the war ftill fubfifting, would ftill have redounded to the prejudice of France, if ffie had agreed to admit the claims of England. 1 hefe reflexions did not efcape his Majefty’s penetration. Neverthelefs his Majefty, unwilling to take upon himfelf the rupture of a Negotiation, which, on his part, propofed the welfare of mankind, he ordered a Reply to be made to the Anfwer from England, Article by Article, in the following Memorial, in the form of an Ultimatum. No. xxn. Ultimatum of France in reply to that of England , of 5 tb of Augujt, x y6i. Ultimatum of the Court of France, as a Reply to the Ultimatum of the Court of England, remitted to the D. de Choifeul by M. Stanley. ‘THE King renews the Declaration which he made to his Britannic Ma- * jelly, to the Memorial of Propofitions for Peace, which has been tranf- mitted to M. Stanley, and to which the Court of England has given no An- iwer, either by word of mouth or in writing: his Majefty again declares, that ‘ if the Negotiation entered into at Paris and at London, fot the re-eftablilhment ‘ of Peace between the two Crowns, has not the defired fuccefs, all the Articles agreed to in that Negotiation by France, cannot be reprefented, on any oc- ca lion, as fettled points, anymore than the Memorial of the month of March * Iaft, relative to the Uti pofftdeiis. i . The King contents to cede Canada to England in the moft extenfive ‘ manner, as fpecified in the Memorial of Propofitions •, but his Majefty will not recede from the Conditions he has annexed to the fame Memorial relative to the Catholic Religion, and to the power, facility, and liberty of emi- ‘ S‘' at >on for the ancient fubjeXs of the King. With regard to the Filhery in the Gull of St. Laurence, the King means to maintain the immemorial right vyhich Ins fubjeXs have of filhing in the faid Gulf, and of drying their filh on ‘ the Banks of Newfoundland, as it was agreed by the Treaty of Utrecht. As this 1 riv flege would be granted in vain, if the French velfeis had not fome ihelter appertaming to France in the Gulf, his Majefty propofed to the Kin^ of Great Britain the reftitutionof the Ifland of Cape Breton •, he again propofes® < C | C ^ ’ a " C .’. ° r J°H n » or f uc!l other Port, without Fortification, in t ie Gulf or within reach of the Gulf, which may ferve the French as a fhel- t r, and iecure to trance the liberty of Filhing, fiom whence his Maieftv has ‘ no tenuon to recede. J } n - /i ! 1C 1 K , lnS h , as , in n0 part of his Memori al of propofitions, affirmed that 21 w 1R: 1 t ‘ R l nct belong to Canada, appertained to Louifiana ; it is even diffi- ‘ cult [ 4 1 ] * cult to conceive fuch an affertion could be advanced. France, on the con- * trary, demands that the intermediate nations between Canada and Louifiana, as * a!fo between Virginia and Louifiana, fliall be confidered as neutral nations, ia- 4 dependant of the Sovereignty of the two Crowns, and ferve as a barrier between 4 them. If the F,ngli(h Minifter would have attended to the inftruCtions of M. 4 Huffy on this fubject, he would have feen that France agreed with England as 4 to this propofition. 3. 4 No anfwer has been given by England to the plain argument. That if Se- 4 negal cannot be enjoyed in fecuriry without Goree, England will make no great 4 farrifiee, in keeping Goree, and reftoring Senegal to France. Upon this ar- 4 tide, Mr. Stanley has acquainted the D. de Choii'eul that fome expedients may be 4 agreed on between the two Crowns : in confequence of which his Majefty, out 4 of regard to the bleffmg of peace, has authorized M. Buffy to treat concern - 4 ing thefe expedients with the Britifh Miniftry. 4. 4 The Court of London, when they mean tofecure, in purfuance of his Ma- * jelly’s confent, the conquefts they pretend to maintain, readily rely on the Me- 4 morial of Uti PoJJidetis ; but they take no notice of that Memorial when they 4 advance claims at the expence of France. It cannot be denied but that the Hate 4 of the town of Dunkirk is not included in the Uti PoJJidetis. ’ 4 According to the Treaty of Utrecht, the Demolition of Dunkirk was not af- 4 fented to, as a compenfation for the liberty of drying codfilh on the Banks of 4 Newfoundland ; it is the cefiion of Newfoundland, on the part of France, which 4 is the ground of that compenfation : but the King, to teftify to all Europe, his 4 fincere defire of peace, and to remove all obftacles which the enemies to peace 4 may throw in the way, authorizes his Minifter at London to negotiate con- 4 cerning the ftate of Dunkirk, fo foon as a convenient port lhall be agreed up- 4 on in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, or within reach of the Gulf, which lhall be 4 ceded to France, to ferve as a Ihelter for her fifhing vefiels. 5. 4 France has refuted the title of England to the Antilles, which are pretend- 4 ed to be neutral ; His Majefty neverthelefs, from a principle of moderation, 4 accepts of the partition of the laid iflands ; but fuch partition cannot take place 4 but in the form fpecified in the firft Memorial of the French propofitions. 6. 4 It feems as if England, by her propofitions, offered the ifland of Belleifle as 4 a compenfation for the ifland of Minorca : as France does not allow the impor- 4 tance of the conqueft of Belleifle, the two Courts will retain their feveral opi- 4 nions ; England lhall maintain her conqueft, and France lhall keep Mi- 4 norca. 7. 4 France is willing to evacuate, in cojifideration of the reftitution to be made 4 by England of the Ifland of Guadeloupe ancToFlVIarigalant?; the" cSururies' 4 belonging to the Landgrave of Heffe, to the Duke of Brunfwic, and to the 4 Electorate of Hanover, which are or lhall be occupied by his Majefty ’s forces, 4 and of which the conqueft is connected with the Britifh War, fince the rupture 4 of the capitulation of Clofter Seven, and which may be feparated from the War 4 of the Emprefs-Queen with the King of Pruflia. 4 But r 42 j * But as to what concerns Wefel, Gueldres, and other countries in WeftpHali* belonging to the King of Pruffia, which are aftually in pofieffion of the n where iuftice is adminiftered in the name of her Imperial, 5. « The King accepts on thefe conditions; and in confideration of the ceffions ‘ made by France, in North America and Africa, as well as in regard to the fet- t. tjement of Dunkirk, the reftitution of the IftancLof Guadeloupe and of Mari- ga'.ante^he Eaft _ Ind ; a Company have fulfilled the conditions of the t Treaty made between MeftT. Godeheu and Saunders : that of England has not * obferved the fame punctuality. However that may be, the King is willing to «. acquiefee in the oth Article of the Ultimatum of England, in relation to Afia. ^ 10. ‘ The King perfifts, with regard to the Captures made before the War, in * the contents of the 12th Article of the firft Propoficions. M. Bufiy is autho- < rifed to deliver a Memorial exprefsly on this fubjeCt ; and every one is perfua- *• ded in France, that this objeCt neither can nor ought to break off the Negotia- tion between the two Crowns. . 11. « The Emprefs-Queen enjoys full fovereignty in the towns of Oftend and * Neuport -, the King has only lent his forces to his Ally to fecure thofe places. 4 England has no right to impofe laws upon the King and the Emprefs, contrary «■ to die will of the King and of her Imperial Majefty, who do not in the lead ‘ violate the Treaties of the Houfe of Auftria with the States General. As to 4 what remains, his Majefty readily declares, that his intention never was to 4 keep pofieffion of the faid places after the eftabliffiment of peace. 12. 4 The 1 2th Article of the Ultimatum of England does not feem liable to 4 any difficulties, while the terms of the intended Sufpenfion ffiall be obferved 4 - and maintained with fincerity. 13. 4 In anfwer to the Declaration made by Mr. Stanley, that in cafe of a fe- 4 parate Peace between France and England, his Britannic Majefty would con- 4 ftantly continue, in the capacity of an Auxiliary, to aid his Ally the King of 4 Pruffia with all his power, and with the utmoft integrity, in order to accom- 4 pliffi the happy iffiue of the War, and the pacification of Germany, the D. de 4 Choifeul, in the name of the King, his Matter, has declared to Mr. Stanley,. 4 that his Majefty, with the fame view to the general pacification, will alfo fup- 4 port his faithful Allies with all his forces, and to the utmoft of his power, and 4 will take every precaution which his approved fincerity and integrity ffiall fug- 4 ' geft to him, in order to prevent the feparate Peace of' France with England 4 < from being prejudicial to them. 4 It is in conlequence of thefe fentiments, that the King, with the confent of his Allies, is willing to ftipulate, that he will grant no fuccour of any kind to 4 his I C 4$ 1 • his Allies for the continuance of their War againft the King of Pruffia ; but hi? Majefty neither can nor will enter into fuch an engagement, unlefs his Britannic Majefty will enter into the like agreement with refpe£t to the King of PrufTia. _ * The Proportion of leaving France at liberty to fend forces into Silefia, is unfavourable, from particular circumftances, to the interefts Oi the Enipreft, and confequently inadmiffible. ... . . . « The King, therefore, perfifts in the Proportions contained in the 10th Ar- ticle of his firft Memorial. All that can be negotiated with relped to thefe points, mud be the liberty of affording fuccours in money to the refpedtiye Al- lies, fo foon as it (hall be pofitively afcertained that no power fhall be at liberty to furnifh them any fupplies of men, or warlike ftores, under any denomina- tion whatever. . , 14. ‘ The King accepts the 14th Article of the Ultimatum of England. « It is hoped that the Court of Great Britain, will allow the precifion of the c Anfwersto their Ultimatum, as well as the readinefs with which the King en ea- « vours, even to his prejudice, to ufe all means to bring about a reconciliation « with the King of Great Britain.’ M. BufTy, on prefenting his Ultimatum , accompanied it with the following Letter, in Anfwer to that of Mr. Pitt, of the 24th of July. No. XXIII. Mr. Busy's letter to Mr. Pitt, 5th Augujl, 1761. ‘SIR, T Have acquainted my Court with the Letter of the 24th of laft month, witk A which your Excellency honoured me, on returning the Memorial I laid be- fore you, in relation to the interefts of the Court of Spam w.ch refped » England, and the Note which I thought it my duty to communicate, witEre- ga.A to the intention of the King my Matter, concerning the neceflary ftep. to put a ftop to hoftilitics in Germany. , . . _.i. < The Kino-, Sir, orders me to acquaint your Excellency, that as to at relates to the inteteft of the Catholic King, his Majefty’s precaut.onexprtM in the Memorial which I remitted to you, is in which he profefles conftantly to adopt in the courfe of all his Negotiations. The Memorial which your Excellency has returned me, neither contains ny •menace ' »r any offer of mediation. No other fentiment can be inferred from :r,: of die fincere defire which his Majefty entertains hat the pro- ie&ed peace between France and England, may be firm and durable. More over the Kin°- refers himfelf to his Catholic Majefty concerning the manner in which this Memorial was received and remitted ; bu £ h £ W me to declare to vour Excellency, that fo long as Spain fhall a PP ro ]f£. ot •his Majefty will interfere with the interefts of that Crown, without defifhng on account of a repulfe from the Power who oppofes his good offices. ^ F 2 [ 44 1 * With refpe the King, to manifeft to h?s Moft ChriF turn Majefty and to the whole world, the fincerity of his intentions with regard to peace, will confent, * 6 1. ‘ a o grant the French fubjeds the privilege of fifhing in the Gulf of St. Laurence, upon this exprefs condition, that is to fay ; That the faid French lu ejects mall abftain from that particular fifhery on all the coafts appertaining r mr ? m r aln ’ whecher , oi y he Continent or on the Ifiands fituated in the faid Uud of St. Laurence, which fifhery the proprietors only of the faid coafts have conftantiy enjoyed and always exercifed; faving always the privilege grant- ed by the 13th article of the treaty of Utrecht, to the fubjeds of France to fifh and dry their cod fifh on a part fpecified on the Banks of Newfoundland, which privilege is propofed to be renewed to France as aforefaid 2. ‘ I he King will confent to cede to his Majefty the ifte of St, Pierre with it s port, which ifle, with refped to that part of Newfoundland fituate be- tween the bay of 1 Jacentia and the bay of La Fortune, ftands eaft fouth eaft, and its port opens towards the north eaft, the interior part of which port is fMB'urgway- the Me of St. Pierre, which the King is willing to ce*!s civided by a little (freight from another ifland known by the name of Ma- L or Michelon, which lies to the north of the faid ifle of St. Pierre, i o the ceftion of the faid ifle, as above mentioned, his Majefty annexes four mdifpenfible conditions. J y c i*.,,* I1 lf t Fra f nce .’ on . no P'etence, nor under any denomination whatever, 1 ! ereft an y fortifications, either in the faid ifle, or in its port, and that fhe lhail not keep any troops there, nor maintain any military eftablifhment what- rfn Tha < l t . he (? id ‘Jf an . d the . faid port fliall only ferve as a fhelter for the fiflung veflels of the French nation, and that France fliall not fuffer the veffels l7fl^n/boats° n Whatever t0 P arcake ofthe convenience of this fhelter for 3 . ‘ T bat the poffefiion of the ifle of St. Pierre as aforefaid, fliall not becon- ftrued in any cafe to confer, tranfmit, or participate in any manner whatever theleaft nght or power of fifhing or of drying cod fifh in any part of the coaft of Newfoundland beyond the diftrid exprefsly ftipulated and fixed for Cal ^ t lC * 3 / h ar c C e °^ he trCaty of Utrec ht, that is to fay, a Loco Cap boHavfia nuncupato, ufquc ad extremtatem ejufdem InfuU feptentrionalem ixdeque ad La', us ocadentak murnndo ufque ad Lacum Pointrich iappellatum. 4. * That [ 53 ] 4. * That in virtue of the cefiion of the faid lfland as aforefaid, an Rnglrlh * commiflary (hall be allowed to refide there, and the commander of the Bri- « t i(h fquadron at Newfoundland fhall be at liberty from time to time to infpeft ‘ the faid ifle and the faid port, to fee that the ftipulations above expreffed are ‘ pun&ually obferved. « The propofition of an alternative fuggefted by the Court of France, in rela- - « tion to the ifles of Tobago, St. Lucia, Dominica, and St. Vincent, common- » ] y called Neutral iQands, is by no means admiflible. The King however, t f rom a principle of moderation, continues his inclination to agree to an equal « partition of the faid four iflands, to be afeertained in the future treaty between « the two Crowns. * The Kin** contents to reftore to his Moll Chriftian Majefty, ‘ The important conqueft of Belle-Ifle, with the artillery, &c. which was * therein at the time of taking the faid lfland. 2 * His Majefty likewife agrees to reftore to the Moll Chriftian King the ler- « tile and wealthy Bland of Guadaloupe, with that of Marigalante with the * artillery, &c. which was therein at the time of taking the faid Illands. VII. < The lfland of Minorca fhall be reftored to his Britannic Majefty, as likewife Fort St. Philip, in the condition it flood, and with the artillery therein, &c. at the time of taking the faid lfland and Fort. * As to what regards the reftitution and evacuation of the Conquefts made by France over the King’s Allies in Germany, and particularly of VV efel and tl e other territories of the King of Pruffia, his Ma efty perf.fts in his demand re- lative to that fubjedt in the 7th Article of the Ul malum of England ; it bein always underftood, that all the places belonging to his Majefty s Allies in Ger- many fhall be reftored, with the artillery, &c. found in them at the time ot taking the faid places. * With reward to the fuccour to be afforded to the King of Pruffia on the part of Ae Britift Crown, as an Auxiliary, after the conclufion of the feparate Peace between Great Britain and France, his Majefty remains in the fame in flexible refolution, which he declared at the firft overture of the prefent Nego- riition that he will never defift from giving conftant fuccour to the King o Prufria’ as 'an Auxiliary, -with Efficacy and good Faith, in order to attain the a- tea™ fndof" general deification in Germany. With this view h,, Maj etty, feffes, that Great Britain and France fhall be at liberty to fupport their refpec- 4 V C 54 ] * tive Allies as Auxiliaries, in their particular conteft for the recovery of Silefia, * according to the engagements entered into by each Crown. * The King declares at the fame time, that his Majefty has neither the inten- ‘ tion nor the authority to take upon him to inhibit and forbid any foreign troops * from entering into the fervice and pay of the King of Pruffia, however his * Majefty might be inclined to confent not to furnifh, but by means of fubfidy, * thole fupplies which Great Britain fhall judge convenient to grant his Pruftian * Majefty, in purfuance of her engagements. X. * With regard to the Captures made after the commencement of hoftilities, * and before the Declaration of War, the King continues of opinion, that fuch a * demand on the part of France is neither juft nor maintainable, according to the ‘ moft inconteftible principles of the rights of War and of Nations. XI. * Concerning the evacuations of Oftend and Nieuport, the King cannot but * refer to the moft exprefs and irrevocable ftipulation of the moft folemn Trea- 1 ties, and exprefied in the i ith Article of the Ultimatum of Great Britain, as alfo * to his Declaration relative to that fubject: and his Majefty relies on the fince- * rity of the Declaration on the part of France ; that is to fay, that the intention * of his Moft Cbriftian Majefty never was to keep pojfeftion of the aforefaid places af - * ter the return of Peace , XII. ‘ In regard to the ceflation of hoftilities, the King perfifts, in every refpedt, in ‘ the fame intentions, declared in the 1 2th Article of the Britifh Ultimatum. XIII. * As to what concerns the French Eaft-India Company, he can only refer to * the 9th Article of the Ultimatum of England, with regard to which no difagree- * ment feems to fubfift. XIV. * As to the prifoners of war, the two Courts feem to agree perfectly on that * head. * The Court of France cannot but perceive from this Anfwer, the fincerity of * his Majefty ’s intentions, as well as the moderation which directs his Majefty to- * wards the means of reconciliation with the Moft Chriftiari King. * Signed N. Stanley.’ The D. de Choifeul had feveral conferences with the Englifh Minifter on the fubjeft of this Anfwer •, but M. Stanley, in thofe conferences, as well as thro’ the whole courfe of the Negotiation, did not appear to be authorized by his Court to come to any agreement with refpett to the difficulties which occurred, nor even to elucidate thofe obfcurities which occurred in the Englifh Anfwers, and particularly in the 9th Article of the laft Anfwer from the Court of London. As this [ 55 1 this Minifter was confined to the letter of the Anfwer given by his Court, this r rmmftance abfolutely put a flop to all eclairciflement on thefe points, and took « i removing ,he obft.de. .of the Ncgomtion. It was • i nmnpr in France in order to obviate thefe difficulties, to fend a ne Memorial to England, as a final anfwer to the Court of London. This Memo- rial was fent to M. Buffy the 9 th of September. No. XXIX. The laft Memorial of France to England, $th September , 1761. The Memorial of France to the Anfwer of England, transmitted to the D. de ClSiih. firft of September, by M. Stanley the M.n.fter of h>. Br.tann.c Majefty. . • , .rpup Kincr accepts the Declaration of the King of England contained in T dJr o^ambie of he Anfwer, and renews that which he before made to 1 his Mi efty on this head, in fuch manner that it is concluded between i the two ‘ Courts finally and without ambiguity, that if peace .snot the rclultoitkpre- of h fcafi S voW andof no efieft, and fltall not be brought as an . argumeru^in favour of either of the parties, in any future negomt, on of Peace. < The Kincr ha's declared in his firft Memorial, and in his Ultimatum, That which can be given to the ceffion, the King is willing to grant it. •His Majefty 8 had ?£? T 'knl'of 'on! e” England agrees to them. C , hc Emigration is too Ihorr, and his ^Vtf-stt hma h y be agreed to extend the term of one year ,o e.gh.een - r c« the entire and total Ceilion o * . * f Dec ifi c explanation of this word, not in'rhe e y „d o«afion Acuities between the two Courts with regard to the meaning of the word Dependencies. . The firft paragraph, with f^tn^UaS T^fl-bet Econd article of the Anfwer from England, is agreed o y , cond C ■ 56 1 cond paragraph is neither juft nor explicit, and it is finally propofed to exprefs * it in the following terms. * ^‘f >e intermediate Savage Nations between the Lakes and the Mijfijfippi , and with- * m Line traced out , Jhall be neuter and independent under the protection of the ‘ K,n f\ « nd th ff e without the Line on the fide of the Englifh Jhall be likewife neuter * and J ” d ^ndant timer the protection of the King of England. The Englijh traders alfo Jhall be prohibited from going among the Savage Nations beyond the Line on ‘ either fide ; but the f aid nations Jhall not be rejlrained in their freedom of commerce 1 with the French and Englijh , as they have exercifed it heretofore. III. Although France is fenfible how oppofite it is to principles of conciliation, that the party which cedes fliould propofe to the party who has conquered and would maintain the cefiion of pofieffions which are not perfe&ly known • though there 15 no doubt but that the manner which England requires is liable to in- numerable difficulties, neverthelefs the King, to teftify his acquiefcence in every expedient which may conciliate the two Crowns, is willing to declare to En*- land, that he will guaranty the polTeffion of Senegal and Goree to that Crown, provided England, on her part, will guaranty the pofleffion of the fettlements of Anamaboo and Akra, on the coaft of Africa. IV. ‘ The fourih ? rt i cle of the Anfwer includes variety of objects, each of which requires a particular explanation. J ‘ England always endeavours to connect the liberty of fiffiing and of drying of e rL T°" P art f ° T f T the u coaft Newfoundland, granted by the fifteenth ardclf of the Tieaty ol Utrecht, with the ninth article of the fame Treaty, which fti- pulates the Demolition of Dunkirk : it is given in anfwer to England for the tourth and Iaft time, that thofe two ftipulations of the Treaty of Utrecht have x cc ; mmon , be L twee 1 n th em, unlefs that they are both comprized in the faid I reaty ; and l that the concefiion exprefled in favour of the French in foundland et ld rt A e ° f 'j 3 com Penfation for the ceffion of New- oundland and Annapolis Royal, made on the part of France to England by the twelfth and thirteenth articles of the fame Treaty. Y head UC and ^ tW ° C ? U „ rtS may clearly underfta nd each other on this h , . d ’ and f ° l the furtherance of Peace, the King agrees to demoliffi the works beCn made n ? r the defence of the port of Dunkirk fince the Begin- Z 8 J f £ lS | Wa iV t0 i UP t - He baf ° n which contains the ffiips of war, and to M, J m b , U,ld, T • bel J on S in § to the rope yard : but at the fame time his forffi/oTnd t lC r dmg r rt ’ Whlch W,!1 not receive a frigate, fubfiftino- r the & od of England as well as for the benefit of France. She will alfo un° dertake not to luffer any maritime military eftablifliment in that port- but the rs,h of Ae mtatont® r °“" d ^ f ° r the &lubrit >’ the * As [ 57 3 ‘ As t0 the fifher y and the drying of fifh on the Banks of Newfoundland, the ‘ King requires that the thirteenth article of the Treaty of Utrecht be confirmed ‘ by the prefent Treaty. ‘ Concerning the condition propofed by England, with refpefl: to the liberty * of fi filing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, France agrees, that beyond the port of * Newfoundland fpecified by the thirteenth article of the Treaty of Utrecht, the * French (unlefs in cafe of accidents) cannot land on the coafts appertaining to * the Englilh in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, whether to dry their fifh, or to * fpread their nets on the faid coafts; but without thefe two exceptions the * French fhall be at liberty to fifh, without moleftation, in all parts of the faid 4 Gulf of St. Lawrence. * With refpeft to the ceffion of the ifland *f St. Pierre, the fmallnefs of that * ifiand, and its fituation near Plaifance, make the King of opinion that fuch a * fhelter will be illufory, and will rather ferve to breed contefts between the two e nations, than to procure the accommodations for the fifher.y of the French fub- e jetts. ‘ The King had required the ifland of Cape Breton, or the ifiand of St. * John ; his Majefty had even reftrained himfelf to the little ifland of Conceau, ‘ and now makes the fame propofition to his Britannic Majefty ; or if the King of * England, for reafons unknown to France, cannot agree to the cefliort of the * ifle of Conceau, it is propofed to add to the ceffion of St. Pierre, the ifiands of * Miquelon or Michelon , two ifiands, of which one, which is Sr. Pierre, is but * three leagues wide, and Michelon but two. However inconfiderable thefe two * fettlements may be, which do not properly make one, the King will accept of * them, and will even oblige himfelf, i. That neither in one or the other ifland, ‘ or in that of Conceau, if England cedes the latter, there fhall be any military * eftablifhment ; France will only maintain a guard of fifty men to enforce the 4 police, which it will be necefiary to maintain in thofe ifiands. 2. 4 As far as poffible, confidering the weak guard of the police, the King 4 will prevent all foreign veflels, even Englilh, from landing at thofe Ifiands. 3. ‘ France does not pretend to fifh and dry their fifh on the Coaft of New- * foundland, but in purfuance of the ftipulation of the 13th Article of the * Treaty of Utrecht, provided it be underftood that the French may fifh and * dry their fifh on the Coafts of St. Pierre and Michelon. 4. 4 Laftly, the King allows, that an Englifii Commiflary fhall be refident in 4 the faid Ifland, to be witnefs to the punctuality with which the ftipulated con- 4 dition of the Treaty fhall be obferved. 4 The partition of the four neutral Ifiands mu ft be fpecified between the two 4 Courts in the Preliminaries ; France accepts the partition of thofe Ifiands pro- 4 pofed by England, provided that St. Lucia be declared to make part of the 4 partition to be regulated in favour of France. VI. 4 The King, without entering into any difeuflion of the 6th Article, agrees * to this Article as well as to the 7th. ft VIII. VIII. * The King, with regard to the 8th Article, refers to the 7th Article of his Ul- timatum. It is not in his Majcfty’s power to evacuate countries, which apper- tain to his Ally the Emprefs Queen. IX. * The ninth Article of the Anfwer of England requires fome explanation, for it is w'orded in fueh a manner as not to convey any precife meaning; it fup- pofes refpeftive Engagements on the part of the King towards the Emprefs, and on the part of. England towards the King of Pruflia, to which the two Courts are (Grangers. France does not fuppofe that the King of England can hinder the Allies of his Crown, fuch as the Sovereigns of Hanover, Caflel, and Brunfwick, from joining their forces with thole of the King of Pruflia ; but without entering into a needlefs difeuflion, the King is refolved, for the fake of peace, to make the mod important facrifices, and at the fame time un- alterably determined, to grant nothing in the future Treaty of Peace, which may be contrary to the ftipulations he has entered into with his Allies. It is with their confent, and with mutual concert, that the King propofes to Eng- land, in relation to the war in Weftphalia, the 10th Article of the Memorial of his Majefty’s propofitions, and the 7th and 13th Articles of the French Ultimatum. The King abides by thefe Articles in anfwer to the 8th and pth Articles of the Anfwer of England ; not refufing, neverthelefs, to treat of any frelh propofitions which England may make on thefe heads, which Ihall be communicated to his Majefties Allies, and to which his Majefty will liften, with the confent of the Emprefs, if they are not contrary to his Majefty’s engagements with that Princefs. X. * France is of opinion that her propDlition in relation to the Captures in which the King’s fubjedts are interefted, are fo juft, that flie abides by them, and re- fers to the 1 2th Article of his Propofitions on that head. XL ‘ The King, after figning of the Treaty, even of the Preliminaries, will give a Declaration under his hand, to the King of England, by which his Majefty will declare that his intention never was to bring the Towns of Qftend and Nieuport under his dominion. xir. ‘ Provided that the terms of the Ceflation of Iloftilities may not be prejudi- cial to either Crown, France will agree to them. XIII. * France adopts the Negotiation between the India Companies of the two Nations, on condition that the Negotiation (hall be concluded at the fame time * with [ 59 J * with that bc ! vvee " the two browns, and to that effect, each company lhall enter upon their Negotiation without delay, and Hull name Commiffanes for * that purpofe. _ . XIV. c This Article will meet with no difficulty. The Court of England will dojuftice to the confulerable Accommodations which the Court of France has certified in this Memorial, towards a reconci- liation between the two Crowns. It may he collected from this Memorial that the firft Article of the Englifh Anfwer was granted in the full extent which the Court of London required: fiance only defired eighteen months, inflead of a year, for the emigration. y granting the firft part of the fecond Article, which cedes the whole cur- rent of the Ohio to England, France propofed in regard to the fecond point of that At tide, to agree upon the nations which fhould be reputed neutral between Canada, Carolina, and Louifiana : This propofition was the more rea- lonable, becaufe that by agreeing on this divifion of the poffeflion of the two nations, an equitable fyftem was adopted, difcuffions about the limits were pre- vented for the future, and France did not incur the rifle of lofing the colony of Louifiana, whenever it pleafed the Court of London to invade it. England, in her anfwer, perfifled in requiring France to name the poffefiions which the king defired to have on the coaft of Africa. The third Article fatis- fied that demand. The King, in the fourth Article, agreed to the Demolition of Dunkirk, as far as it was poflible ; for it will not be practicable, as after the peace of Utrecht, to ereCt afrefh a dam againft the fea, which would inevitably carry it away prefently. As to what remained, it was offered to demolifh every thing at Dunkirk which had the appearance of a military port. Every one muft be fenfible how morti- fymg fuch a demolition muft have been to France. They agreed that the liberty of fifhing in the Gulf of St. Laurence, and upon the banks and coarts of Newfoundland, fhould be the compenfation for the De- molition of Dunkirk. They accepted the ceflion of the Ifle of Sr. Pierre, on Conditions more than burthenfome : the union of Michelon to St. Pierre was of the leaf! confequence, and the D. de Choifcul even affured Mr. Stanley that fuch a ceffion would not be infifted on. It is true the King rejected the infpeflion of the Engli fh Admiral, and that his Majefty was refolded rather to refufe the PofTeffion of St. Pierre, than to agree to luch an infpeftion, which was ufelcls for the maintaining the* rtipulations of the Treaty, and injurious to the dignity of the French nation, as that condition feemed to be propofed only with a view to manifeft, on the part of England, an ill-timed fuperiority. The other Articles of the French Memorial explain of themfelves, with fuffi- cient precifion, the fincere and pacific intentions of his Majefty. rhe eighth and ninth Articles of the Anfwer of England, could not be agreed to in the form they flood •, they required at lead, efpecially the laft, fome ex- planation : Por how could the King caufe Germany to be evacuated by his ti 2 forces , V [ ] forces, and at the fame time fulfil his engagement with the powers of the Empire his Allies ? There was a manifeft contradt&ion in this propofttion. One might fuppofe that England intended, by the ninth Article, that France, after having evacuated Weftphalia, fhould be at liberty to difpatch forces into Bohemia or Saxony to the aid of the Emprefs Queen. But not to mention that fuch a march would have been as difficult as deftruftive to the King’s army, is it pro- bable that his Majefty, however clofely he may be connedted with that Princefs, fhould abandon his pofleflions in Germany, conquered from his real Enemies, to march his armies at a diftance from his frontiers, without any communication, lend his troops to the aid of this Ally, and make war upon the King of Pruffia, who is not his diredt enemy ! Such neverthelefs was the propofition of England. The King, in his Memo- rial, repeated what he had faid before, that the two Crowns fhould equally re- main at peace in Germany, as in the other parts of the world, or that England fhould propofe fome plain and honourable method to conciliate his Majefty’s good , faith towards his Allies, with his Majefty’s defire of contributing no farther to the war in Germany. M. de Bufly remitted the Memorial of the 9th of September to Mr. Pitt, on the 13th of the fame month, and without having received any anfwer to that Memorial on the part of the Britifh Court, Mr. Stanley wrote to the D. de Choi- feul the following Letter, and received the Anfwer underneath on the fame day. No. XXX. Mr. Stanley's Letter to the Duke de Chcifeu!, of the 20th Sept ember , 1761. S I R, * T Have the honour to inform your Excellency, purfuant to the orders I re- *• ceived yefterday from my Court, that as the Court of France has not agreed ‘ to accept the Propofitions contained in the laft Anfwer from the Britifh Court, ‘ the King my Matter has ordered me to requeft a paffport of you, to return to * England-, my Court expedts alfo,, that M. Bufly will, on his part, receive the * fame orders. * A s' the ftate of war has no influence over the perfonal fentiments of the King * of England, with regard to their Moft Chriftian Majefties, he is perfuaded ‘ that they will take part in the event of his marriage, and I have letters in my ‘ hands by which he communicates that happy event to their Majefties. I have * the honour to fend your Excellency the copies, and I take the liberty. Sir, to * confult your better intelligence, to inform myfelf of the moft fuitable manner * of remitting thefe Letters, in purfuance of my Credentials, and according to * the eftablifhed cuftom of your Court. ‘ I have the honour to be, &c. * Signed Stanley. No. XXXI. I 6i ] No. XXXI. The Duke de Choifeul's Anjwer to Mr. Stanley , the icth September , 1761, S I R, H E King has ordered me. Sir, to expedite the pafiports which are necef- fary for your return to England : you will find them annexed. M. Bufiy * had orders to demand an Eclairciffment with refped to the laft Anfwer from ‘ England, and to return to France if thofe Eclaircilfements were not favourable. * They have certainly been otherwife, fince your Court has anticipated his re- * turn by your recall. However it be, Sir, his Majefty hopes that fome more ‘ happy opportunity will produce more effedual inclinations to peace, and he * has charged me to obferve to you, that you may afilire the King of England, * that he will always find him difpofed to renew the Negotiation, and toconfent * to equitable conditions, which may eftablifh a firm union between the two * The King moll fincerely takes part in the marriage of the King of Eng- 1 land; if ypu will fend me the Letters from his Britifh Majefty, I will remit * them to their Majefties. At the fame time M. de Bufiy underftood at London, that a Courier had been difpatched to recal Mr. Stanley, he explained himfelf on that occafion ; and af- ter the Britifh Miniftry had confirmed the fad, he defired, agreeable to the orders he had received, the neceflary Pafiports to return to France. Thus the Negotiation between the two Crowns has been broken off. They who talk fo readily, and upon all occafions, that We muft make Peace , do not confider, that however well difpofed a Sovereign may be for the re-efta- blilhment of tranquillity, his delire cannot be effedual, but when it is equally fincere on the part of the other Belligerant Powers ; and it will be admitted, on reading this Memorial, that the King has omitted nothing to come to an Ac- commodation ; no one can fay, that his Majefty’s Allies have occafioned the rupture of the Negotiation. It has been proved, that the war which the King maintains in Weftphalia, is a war purely Englilh, that it brings no advantage either to the Empreffes, or to Sweden, or to Saxony •, befides, the Propofition made by Franc;-, not to afford any fuccours, either dired or indired, to her Allies in Germany, evidently demonftrates that the war in Weftphalia neither has been, or could be, an impediment to the Peace. England and fome other courts would pretend that the engagements of the King with his Catholic Majefty, and the propofition made by France to concili- ate the differences of Spain with England at the fame time with thofe which were the principal objed of the Negotiation, had fo difgufted the court of London, that for that reafon only fhe refufed the terms for the conclufion of peace. It is true, as has been fhewn already, that the Britifh Minifter haughtily rejeded * Crowns. * I have the honour to be, &c. * Signed Le Due de Choifeul.* 2 the [ 62 ] the expedient which his Majefty’s prudent precaution induced him to fuggeft to _ ng and, with a view to conclude a firm peace, and to entirely obviate all ob- ltacles which might oppofe the continuance of that tranquillity which his Ma- jefty laboured to re-eftablifli ; it is true likewife, that fi nee the firft Memorial of fiance, there was no farther notice of the differences of Spain in the propofi- tion made by the Court of \ erfai lies to that of London : his Catholic Majefty has even declared^) the Lin g, that if the objeds which ^hciTnecIThrEii^ MOTaFclty mould en'ttaffnfTrhFTiegbfiation and retard the peace.' he'^recdrliaf tlrofe-puinis fiicnftddnenioT^e^ the parToTius Majefty In factp-to~repeaHr onceTTiOTSr'fince the firft M em ori a l of ITance, there hasPbeen no more mention of Spain. It cannot be imagined therefore, that the interefts of his Majefty s Allies have proved an obftacle to the pacification. It remains therefore to examine whether the Negotiation has been broken off with refuel to the articles which are the fubjeds of the particular difeuffion between the two Crowns. It is neceffary to recoiled here, agreeable to the reprefentation in the opening of the Memorial, what were the pofleffions acquired fince the commencement of the war between the two Crowns, to the time when the Negotiation was en- tered upon, on the bafis of the Uti pojftdetis. England had^conquered from France in North America, Canada, and the ifies Royal and St. John, fituate in the Gulf of St. Laurence : in South Ameri- ca the ifies of Guadaloupe and Marigalante: in Africa, Senegal, and the ifiand of Goree . in Afia, Pondicherry and the French fettlements on the coaff of Co- roman del. In Europe the ifiand of Belle-ifle, attacked fince the opening of the Necmti- France 30 ^ ^ ^ enC 10 c P oc hs of Statu Qjo, propofed by the C urc if p0jflMs °{ Fr f nCe <; om P rized « Afia, the Englifii fettlements on the coa.b of Sumatra and other advantages on the fide of the Mogul, of which they had yet received but imperfed accounts. In Europe, the ifiand of Minorca, the Landgraviateof Heffe, the country of Hanau, and the town of Gottingen in the Lledorate of Hanover. Laftiy, France had re-eftablifhed, or could have availed iSffSsSh'fhi’JS of otkl* raaion uf Trcaty °* u ™ ht «*« » thcEn&m in ti,e utmo<> «“ His Majefty propofed that the right of fi filing and of drying their fiff on the Load and on the Banks of Newfoundland fliould be confirmed to France, and on t at condition flie confented to the Demolition of Dunkirk i be King propofed to reftore the ifiand of Minorca to England, for the cef- ficn of Guadaloupe and Marigalante. His Majefty agreed to evacuate Heffe, the County of Hanau, and Gortin- ffored P m V her ^ ^ ° f th * tW ° Settlements had loft in Africa were re- V lc Ind n an com P nnics the two nations were to treat concerning their oar- lar pacification, agreeable to their reciprocal interefts. ° F 1 If C 6g ] If the redudion of Belle-Ifle fhould be acknowledged a legal conqueft, though undertaken after the propofition of Uti poffidetis , France agreed chat the poliefi- fion of that important ifland fhould remain to England. Who can pretend to fay, after the foregoing reprefentation, that France has not fcrypuloufly purfued, in all her propofitions, the principle of her Memorial cf the 26th of March ! Can any one, at the fame time, deny that the compen- sations offered by the King, were not as advantageous for England as fhe could dcfire ? Therefore it evidently follows, that the Allies of France in Germany could have been no obftacle to the peace, finee they take no part in the war which is carried on in \\ eftphalia, nor are affifted by the King’s forces in the war maintained in Saxony, Silefia, and Pomerania. Moreover, it was propofed to England, on' the part of France, that the two Courts fhould abfolutely withdraw themlelves from the war. ... It is equally demonftrable, that Spain cannot be alledged to have been an im- pediment to the pacification, as the King did not renew the Propofition he made to unite the accommodation of the differences of that Crown with the Treaty un- der Negotiation between the Courts of Verfailles and London, and his Catholic Majefly approved of their filence in this behalf. It is certain, that the conditions and compenfations offered by France, for the conclufion of a feparate Peace with England, are all for the advantage of the lat- ter Power ; that the Court of London, had fhe been inclined to Peace, could not make claims beyond her Conquefts j and that the Court plainly and clearly gave up every thing which was not compenfated by fome reflitution on her part. This detail neceffarily leads to the queftion, which the whole univerfe, that fuffers by the miferies of war, mult neceffarily make : What then has been the motive of the rupture of fuch an important Negotiation ? That motive has no other principle than the pofitive averfion of the Court of London to Peace : it has proved impofiible to infufe a conciliating fpirit into a Court refolved to per- petuate the War, and lefs influenced by the real interefts of the kingdom and the deftrudion of the human fpecies, than inflated with the fuceefs fhe has had, and greedy of thole advantages fhe has farther in view. It is with regret that the King finds himfelf obliged to continue an oppofition by force to the progrefs of the ambitious defigns of his enemies, and under an impoflibility of procuring his people that repofe which his Majefly wifhed, for their welfare. The King trufts, thac Providence will difappoint thofe vaft pro- jeds, which England fcarce endeavours to difguife, and which threaten the fecu- rity of every Potentate. His Majefly, invariable in his pacific difpofitions, will be always ready to concur in every expedient which may be judged proper to re- eftablifh the public tranquillity, and will make no difficulty of facrificing, even his own interefts, to the glory and confblation of reftorir.g Peace to his kingdom and to Europe. By Order of the King, Signed LE DUC DE CHOISEUL. O N T E N Introduction No. I. Declaration of their P ruffian and Britannic Majeflies No. II. Counter Declaration of his Mofl Chriflian Majefly ‘ The Declaration of his Mofl Chrijlian Majefly Letter from the Duke de Choifeul to Mr. Pitt Memorial of the Chrijlian King Mr. Pitt's Letter to the Duke of Choifeul The Memorial of his Britanwc Majefly , of the 2 th of April 1761 No. III. No. IV. No. V. No. VI. No. VII. No. XIII. No. XIV. No. XV. No. XVI. No. XVII. No. XVIII. No. XIX. No. XX. No. XXI. No. XXII. Page 3—6 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 15 16 1 7 18 l 9 ib. 20 No. VIII. Letter from the D. de Choifeul to Mr. Pitt No. IX. The Memorial of his Mofl Chrijlian Majefly , of the gth April 1 761 No. X. Mr. Pitt's Letter to the D. de Choifeul No. XI. The Memorial of his Britannic Majefly of the i 2 th of April, 1761 No. XU. Letter from the D. de Choifeul to Mr. Pitt Another Letter from the D. de Choifeul to Mr. Pitt, of the 4 th of May, 1761 Mr. Pitt's Anfwer to the D. de Choifeul , of the 1 ilh May , 1761 Another Letter from Mr. Pitt to the D. de Choifeul, of the nth May, 1761 The Memorial of the Britifb Mini Jl er of the 17 th June, i 7 6t The French Memorial, 1 ^th July, 1 76 1 The private Memorial of France, of 1 5th July, 1761, relating to Spain M. Buffy's Note to Mr. Pitt Mr. Pitt's Letter to M.Buffy, 2\th July, 1761 The Anfwer of the Britijh Court to the Memorial of French Propo- fttions, 2Cjth July, 1761 Ultimatum of France, in reply to that of England , of 5th of Au- guft, 1761 M. Buffy's Letter to Mr. Pitt, gth Auguft, 1761 Note of the Spanifh Ambaffador to Mr. Pitt Memorial concerning the Vefjels taken before the War Mr. Pitt's Letter to M. BuJJy, 1 fth Auguft, 1761 M. Buffy's Anfwer to Mr. Pitt, 1 6th Auguft, 1761 No. XXIII. No. XXIV. No. XXV. No. XXVI. No. XXVII. No. XXVIII. The Anfwer of England to the Ultimatum of France, received the 1 ft September , 1 76 1 The laft Memorial of France to England, cyth September, 1761 Mr. Stanley s Letter to the D. de Chcifeul , of the 20 th September , 1761 No, XXXI. The D. de Choifeul s Anfwer to Air. Stanley, the 20 th Septem- ber, 1761 No. XXIX. No. XXX. 21 2 3 27 33 35 3 6 37 40 43 44 46 48 49 50 55 /rw t n mmw //,